DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — If you’ve been avoiding downtown Delray Beach, because of steep parking fees, you’re in for some good news and your wallet will thank you.
Starting next week, the city is rolling out Free Parking Wednesdays, waiving fees all day and all night for city-owned garages and lots.
Luke Walsh and Anna Jarzzynska were in town shopping when they ran into WPTV's Joel Lopez.
“What are your general thoughts about parking in Delray Beach?” Lopez asked.
“I’ve lived here my whole life and the parking has become outrageous,” Walsh said, shaking his head.
Luke explained that rising fees in some lots have kept him away from downtown more than he’d like.
“Yeah because like $20 to $30, that’s like a whole meal for two people sometimes,” he added.
The Downtown Development Authority confirmed that traffic took a dip after rates went up and seasonal crowds thinned out and are
urging city commissioners to find solutions to help businesses and locals impacted by the parking fees.
Skyla Bruno and Braden Nicols made the trip from West Palm Beach for the day.
“What if I told you the city parking garages and lots will be free every Wednesday for the rest of the summer?” Lopez asked Bruno.
“I think that would be really good. I think people of the city and even visitors will really appreciate that. Any time you can save a buck or two it’s really appreciated,” she said.
The program covers five city-owned lots and three garages:
Old School Square, Federspiel, IPIC garages, and the Roy M. Simon, Village, Gladiola, Veterans Park, and Banker’s Row lots.
Free parking runs every Wednesday from June through August.
Businesses Feeling the Pinch
Bethany Bartlett, co-founder of PurLife fitness studio and cafe near the Old School Square Garage, knows the struggle firsthand.
“Parking has been an issue for us. People that live local don’t even come into town anymore,” she told WPTV.
She said when PurLife opened, the lot next door was free and now many customers park in a nearby private lot, getting charged $15 an hour.
“Having this garage right next door, do you think that Wednesday lift is going to help?” Lopez asked.
“I think it’s going to be huge,” Bartlett said optimistically.
She believes Free Parking Wednesdays is a good start to help locals and businesses during the off-season, but wants the city to go further and make the free parking more than just one day of the week.
“The people who are here for the summer are our core people, people that are keeping this place going. So we should be rewarding the people that are here that could be bringing business to Delray in the summer,” Bartlett explained.
Free Parking Wednesdays apply only to city-owned lots and garages.
Street parking and private lots will still charge.
Anna Jarzzynska summed it up.
“I think it’s great if the city is prioritizing the people, I feel like that would incentivize me to come visit more often.”
You can find a full list of parking lots on the city's website, here.
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