ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – St. Augustine’s city manager said Monday the parking garage and visitor lots are filling up during the peak periods of the Nights of Lights event, despite parking prices doubling this year.
During Monday’s meeting, City Manager David Birchim provided an update on the popular holiday event, which started on Nov. 15 and ends on Jan. 11.
Recommended Videos
Birchim said so far this year, the parking garage has closed 26 times because it reached capacity. According to data for all vehicles in the garage on Saturdays during November, Birchim said there was an increase of 317 cars from last year.
This year, the city made some significant modifications to the event, hoping that they would help with traffic congestion.
RELATED | St. Augustine leaders hopeful new traffic, safety measures will lead to more successful Nights of Lights than last year | St. Augustine reports more fender benders during Nights of Lights, ask people to be patient
One of those changes was raising the parking garage price from $20 to $40, hoping it would reduce the number of cars using the garage and incentivize people to use the city’s free shuttles. However, the city manager said, the price increase hasn’t really changed much.
In terms of the residential parking program, Birchim said reports from residents of downtown neighborhoods indicate the program to reserve street parking for residents has been “very favorable.”
Moreover, Birchim said last year, 11,356 visitors used the shuttle service over a five-day period. This year, 19,635 people have used it over eight days.
Despite efforts to address traffic concerns, Birchim said traffic congestion remains a problem. However, he said complete stoppages of vehicular traffic are less frequent than last year.
“In general, we are seeing positive comments about the Nights of Lights on social media,” DeSantis said.