Jacksonville Beach is now implementing a pilot plan to charge parking fees.
For the 14 years I’ve lived in Jacksonville, I have always avoided the pay parking lots when I go to the beach. Now all the places I have been parking are going to be paid parking. Some may say that it’s not a big deal, but I'm old school and I'll look for other places to go to the beach.
Downtown Jacksonville suffers from a lack of people frequenting businesses for a number of reasons. The cost of parking is one of the significant factors. Jacksonville Beach is really starting to draw increasing numbers of people, but this may put a squelch on the traffic.
Often officials and businesses look at the revenue picture without a full look at the costs. Many urban centers go through this dilemma and suffer a lack of traffic frequenting downtown businesses. People who have lived in the suburbs have been accustomed to free parking for a long time. Unintended consequences may result. For example, free parking that is close to businesses may end up getting taken by beach goers that might stay for hours at the beach and frustrate potential business patrons Who knows, but I have always found in life that every action has a reaction.
Personally, I'll likely start going to the beach a few blocks north or south of Jacksonville Beach. Oh well, the beach environment is much the same down or up the beach. I get the same benefits of sun, sand and surf.
