When paid parking preserves a city’s character

If the paid parking debate has proved anything, it’s that Fernandina Beach residents care about their city’s character. We love the small-town charm, the relaxed lifestyle, and peace and quiet that come with it. It’s neighborly here; it’s easy to get around, and it’s beautiful, too — both the natural and built environments.         

But every day, a little at a time, it’s getting more crowded. The traffic’s worse than it was a year ago. And there are days — thankfully very few — when it feels less quaint than it used to. There are four reasons for this, and there’s not much we can do about any of them: more residents, more tourists, more cars, and more constraints on what the city can do about it.

For perspective, consider that in the 1970s — when the look and feel of Fernandina Beach was transformed — the city’s population was 7,000. Today there are nearly 14,000 of us here. There were 21,000 people in Nassau County then; today, there are 104,000.

Then, there were roughly 23,000 registered vehicles in the county. Today, if national averages hold, there are likely between 83,000 and 88,000 vehicles. Our new neighbors will eventually come to enjoy the beach, the waterfront, and the downtown shops and restaurants … just as we all do.

When the city took its current form, nobody bothered to count the tourists. Today, more than a million visitors spend time on Amelia Island annually, adding about 300,000 cars over the course of the year. Another 220,000 “day trippers” bring roughly 73,000 cars onto the island and into the city. Soon — if we don’t do something to mitigate the growth — visitors and residents both will lose the things they love most about Fernandina.

The problem isn’t that we don’t love people, or that we’re inhospitable; it’s that our city wasn’t designed for this.

Which brings us to the fourth issue:

Over the past few years, the Florida legislature has systematically stripped local governments of the tools they’ve long relied on to manage growth and preserve local character (SB 180 and the Live Local Act are the most recent and among the most damaging examples).

So, what is possible?

One of the things that’s still under the city’s full control is its streets, which includes parking policy. That’s why, according to the Federal Highway Administration, dozens of coastal cities — with historic downtowns and limited parking — employ “demand-based parking.” While each city custom-makes its own program, the primary goals are the same: to help small towns remain small, even as regional growth explodes around them, and to preserve their one-of-a-kind character.

In every case, parking is free for residents; for visitors, rates adjust based on occupancy and availability goals. When a block becomes “over-occupied,” the price rises, encouraging some drivers to park a block over, where the rate’s lower. When a block is “under-occupied,” the price drops, enticing more drivers in that direction. Most cities adjust rates to ensure that 10%—15% of spaces on each block are always available. Everyone can always find a great place to park.

And drivers who are willing to walk a little farther can quickly find the least expensive options.

No one will need to circle the block three or four times in search of the best spot; that alone often cuts traffic by as much as 30%. Walking becomes safer, downtown feels relaxed, and even at its busiest times the city feels alive — but not overcrowded.

We’ve learned from others that when parking is strategically priced, the city slows down — emotionally and physically. When traffic is calmer and when parking is more predictable, everyone stays on island time.

Cities have also found that well-managed parking is good for businesses. When one car no longer occupies a prime space for six or eight hours anymore, that space can serve six or eight more cars — providing better access for more people throughout the day. At lunch time and into the evening, customers can park within a block of their favorite shops and restaurants, creating better foot traffic. Managed parking also spreads demand more evenly across the day, drawing customers into slower morning and midweek hours.

The late Donald Shoup, the country’s foremost parking expert, argued that a healthy downtown economy depends less on “maximum free parking” and more on predictable access. Similarly, Jeff Speck, a city planner and the author of “Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America,” argues that the most successful downtowns aren’t the ones with endless free parking; they’re the ones that are attractive, walkable, shaded, calm, and easy to navigate.

Our city needs visitors, but free parking for every tourist, every day-tripper, and every resident of the ever-expanding Nassau County pushes residents out of their own city, causing downtown to feel less local. Managed parking helps residents feel like the town is still theirs. And the city sends them a message: You come first.

The money, of course, does matter. Because these plans are about preserving character, cities like ours use parking revenue to maintain historic landmarks. Some support local festivals and street fairs. Many cities invest the money in landscaping, street trees, or public art installations.

Others widen sidewalks, add bike lanes, and install bike racks. In Seaside, Fla., parking revenue funds shuttle services that connect outlying parking lots to downtown.

With demand-based parking, residents can enjoy their own city, local businesses can thrive without chaos, and visitors help sustain the beauty that drew them here in the first place. The goal is to preserve the character that makes Fernandina Beach worth visiting — and worth calling home.

Richard Doster serves on the City's Planning Advisory Board and writes a column for the Fernandina News-Leader.