New Smyrna Beach city leaders move forward with plans to improve access to parking
A plan to fix parking in New Smyrna Beach has gained some traction.
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This week, City Commissioners approved an $83,000 contract with an engineering consulting company to turn a set of recommendations into an action plan.
However, because parking has become such a sensitive topic for city leaders and residents, the firm will still collect data and gather input.
For New Smyrna Beach residents, the best way to fix the parking problem has become a never-ending conversation.
“We need to enable more people to get down here,” resident Bill Gallagher said.
In all his years living in the bustling beach town, Gallagher says he has seen more studies than solutions.
“Ignoring it and hoping it goes away, that’s not a solution,” Gallagher said. “Hope is not a strategy.”
An Ormond Beach-based engineering from called LTG believes it can be the one to finally pave the way for better parking across New Smyrna Beach.
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Project Manager Kerry Karl says the approach includes more long-term actions like data collection and meeting with residents.
However, there are also some immediate steps in the works, like launching pilot programs that give people options to park off-site.
“That includes some paid parking through a mobile app, and it’s going to include some temporary parking opportunities with wayfinding,” Karl said.
The entire process should take approximately eight months. Karl says residents will receive monthly updates.
“We don’t want to hear about a study on a shelf. We really need to speak in terms of action,” Karl said. “There are several things in the parking world you can implement, but I don’t want to speculate without more community engagement about what would fit well in New Smyrna Beach.”
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Everything from garages and paved lots to shuttles, bikes and scooters will be considered.
The focus will be on four main areas: Flagler Avenue, Canal Street, the North Causeway, and the Venetian Bay Village Center.
LTG has not set an exact start date for the data collection, but Karl says she believes the best data will be collected during the busier months like Spring and Summer.
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