'North Beaches' Parking Program Enforcement to Begin Soon

Paid Parking

Enforcement of the pay-for-parking program at Beaches Town Center is delayed due to a software issue with the parking consultant. The enforcement date, originally scheduled for Jan. 15, will be announced when the resolution to the issue is confirmed. 


The North Beaches Pilot Parking Management Program is a public-private partnership between the cities of Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach. The program is managed by RTA Consulting; the Beaches Town Center Agency also has had a key role in the parking initiative.


To help Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach manage traffic and parking, pay-to-park spaces are located throughout Beaches Town Center. The program began with a soft launch on Oct. 17 to inform businesses, residents and visitors of the new rules and regulations; answer questions; and to demonstrate how the parking program app and kiosks work. Only courtesy notifications of violations are being issued during the soft launch.


To park in a pay-to-park space, vehicle operators must use the marked pay stations (kiosks) or download the Flowbird app. The app is free; users are charged 35 cents for each transaction. Customers using the app should click on the yellow icon.


There are seven kiosks in Neptune Beach and two in Atlantic Beach. The first half hour of parking is free; after the first free half hour, the cost is $1 per half hour. The maximum daily fee is $12.


The City of Neptune Beach has allocated 35 spaces at the Beaches Town Center southwest perimeter on Cherry, Walnut and Second streets for registered Neptune Beach residents to use at no charge. The City of Atlantic Beach has established a 50-percent discount for its registered residents who utilize pay-to-park spaces in Atlantic Beach. Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach residents may register their vehicles at www.northbeachesparking.com.

The Beaches Town Center Agency and Merchants Association have a program to provide dedicated parking spaces for employees working in the Beaches Town Center. There also are privately owned lots throughout Beaches Town Center that are not included in this program. Spaces that are part of the Neptune Beach-Atlantic Beach program display the North Beaches Parking logo, as do the kiosks. The program utilizes an automatic license plate recognition system to capture license plate numbers, along with the location, date, and time.


Customers may pay with a credit card through the app, or pay at the kiosks using a credit card or cash. The kiosks will accept $1, $5 and $10 bills (no coins). The machines will not give change, so cash payments must be exact-change only. Customers who choose to use a kiosk should have their license plate number, which is used to activate the system. There is no need to display a receipt or enter a space number to verify payment. Americans with Disability Act (ADA) parking is free for four hours.


All first-time citations, other than those involving ADA space violations or other illegal parking, will receive a one-time courtesy notice of violation. Subsequent citations will result in the issuance of a parking invoice listing the violation and an option of paying the $12 maximum daily fee by the end of the next business day. Those payments may be made via the Flowbird app, online, or at the North Beaches Parking office in the rear of the Neptune Beach Police Department at 200 Lemon St.


If citations are not paid by the due date, a $10 administrative fee will be added to the invoice. If that payment isn’t made within 30 days, the citations will be submitted to the appropriate city government for enforcement and collection action.


The North Beaches Pilot Parking Management Program and the cities of Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach encourage people to not drink and drive. As such, overnight parkers can have citations waived upon verification that they took a safe ride home. In cases in which a vehicle is parked overnight, a citation may be issued, but the car is not towed.


The North Beaches Pilot Parking Management Program was created as a trial endeavor to create a data-driven, market-based, self-sustaining initiative. During the 18- to 24-month pilot program, the resulting market data will be continually reviewed and modifications will be made, accordingly. 


In Neptune Beach, expenditures of the revenue generated from the North Beaches parking program must be approved by the City Council. In Atlantic Beach, parking revenue may be used to fund transportation-related measures and Beaches Town Center projects.


The parking program’s Flowbird app is readily available in various app stores. Download instructions are posted on the kiosks and an instructional video is posted at www.northbeachesparking.com. The program’s parking ambassadors also serve as customer service personnel, and can provide assistance.

Additional information about the North Beaches Pilot Parking Management Program is available from the cities of Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach; by visiting www.northbeachesparking.com; by calling (904) 566-9410; and by emailing manager@northbeachesparking.com.