North Myrtle Beach to introduce paid parking, shuttles during busy summer season
As parking remains a top concern with summer right around the corner, North Myrtle Beach officials are putting in place a plan that aims to solve existing parking issues throughout the community.
Following a presentation from consulting firm Kimley-Horn, which was hired to assess current public parking opportunities and challenges within the city, the council agreed Wednesday to implement a series of short-term parking plans for the upcoming tourism season.
The plan would extend and modify 10 beach access parking lots between 4th Avenue North and Sea Mountain Highway, creating roughly 212 parking spaces, restricting anyone from parking in the Ocean Boulevard median. The city will also launch a paid parking program, set to begin June 15, in all public parking lots on both sides of Ocean Boulevard with a $2 per hour parking fee that visitors can pay on a mobile app.
Additionally, the city will implement a residential permit system that will allow residents to park for free in all paid parking lots but limit the number of vehicles used to one per visit. A city shuttle service also is being considered.
“I’m excited over the fact that we’re going to address this problem,” Mayor Marilyn Hatley said. “I’d hope the people will realize this is an issue that we didn’t take lightly.”
Problems arose last year after residents issued a lawsuit against the city following roughly three years of complaints citing dangerous and unlawful parking in the median along North Ocean Boulevard between 3rd Avenue North and Shorehaven Drive.
Despite a judge dismissing the lawsuit upholding the city’s right to allow parking in the grassy area between the north and southbound lanes, the city eventually blocked off parking to the median. The council later hired the Raleigh-based consulting firm to help improve parking in the city and make areas safer for residents and tourists.
The firm later held workshops with residents, business owners and key stakeholders to discuss parking options and solutions to bring before the city council. Kimley-Horn representative Brett Wood said the parking study was broken down into two phases — with the first phase tackling short-term solutions with swift implementation and the latter creating a long-term plan.
“This first phase is really looking at what can we do now,” Wood said. “Once we move into phase two we can look at the results of some of these immediate strategies and understand their impact and ability to change behavior and meet the demands of the community.”
While Wood presented the council with six parking designs, he informed council members that construction to extend the 10 beach access lots would remain the most cost effective. He said construction would take up to three months and cost the city roughly $30,000 per lot. Plans would create delineated parking spaces for both cars and golf carts and add a landscaping barrier to separate the parking lot from any adjacent homes.
Council members also agreed to the shuttle service on a trial basis for the summer before permanently implementing the program. While Hatley said the shuttle would provide employment opportunities for retirees and easier access to the seaside, she said the idea could pose complications for families looking to bring beach accessories to the shore.
Currently, the plan proposes two shuttles traveling from Ocean Drive Elementary School to Main Street and Ocean Boulevard.
“The trolly would be a way of taking people to the beach, and we’re not adding more parking spaces, but we’re allowing more people to get to the beach,” Hatley said. “That’s just a good way of moving people and it’s probably something we can use in other ways.”
Hatley said the shuttle could be used for festivals and other city events.
Parking data collected over the summer will contribute to determining additional short-term and long-term public parking solutions, officials said. While an official vote to approve the parking plan isn’t required, the council authorized City Manager Mike Mahaney to move ahead with executing the approved changes.
“I think this is a step in the right direction,” Hatley said. “We need to move forward quickly if we’re going to get this work done and ready for our summer season.”
This story was originally published March 6, 2019 at 6:11 PM.
