Clearwater Increases Parking Rates On Beach

CLEARWATER, FL — Starting today, parking in Clearwater Beach just got a bit more expensive.

Beginning Nov. 18, the rate to park in city parking lots, garages and on-street parking spaces on Clearwater Beach increases to $3 per hour for lots and to $3.50 per hour for on-street metered parking as the city installs the pay-by-plate parking kiosks.

Currently, several parking lots across the city have a broad range of parking rates and hours of enforcement. This change will streamline the parking rates and hours of enforcement and better align the parking rates with the nationwide industry standard for coastal communities similar to Clearwater Beach.

In addition, the increase in the parking rates more closely aligns with the city's current beach parking rates in Lot 31 (Pier 60), Lot 32 (420 S. Gulfview Blvd.) and the North Beach Parking Plaza (490 Poinsettia Ave.).

Parking meters will be programmed with the new rate increase as new pay-by-plate touch-screen parking meters are installed across the beach.

See related story: Clearwater Adopts Pay-By-Plate Parking System

In addition to the rate changes, the hours of parking enforcement are changing, too. Currently, parking lots are enforced on Clearwater Beach from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m., and now enforcement will take place from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The time limit for on-street parking on Clearwater Beach is increasing from a two-hour time limit to a five-hour time limit.