VIRGINIA BEACH — City officials on Monday said parking the at Oceanfront “just got easier” with two new parking programs.
Seasonal parking passes can be used to “pay one price, park all summer long” at municipal parking lots at the Oceanfront, according to a news release from the city.
For $80, motorists can buy a season parking pass that allows unlimited parking access at city surface lots from April 1 to Oct. 31.
“The parking pass makes it convenient to enjoy multiple visits to the oceanfront without incurring the costs to park each time,” officials said in the news release.
Then there’s the new customer loyalty program, a free punch card that grants drivers one free parking visit after four paid visits at any municipal parking lot or garage.
The loyalty card rewards customers for regularly using city parking facilities and are being distributed to drivers for use all year long, officials said.
Both the seasonal pass and customer loyalty programs were initiated by City Council member John Uhrin, who worked with the City’s Parking Management Office to “provide ways to make parking at the oceanfront easier and more convenient for residents and others visiting the oceanfront.”
“We’ve launched these parking programs to encourage people to visit the oceanfront more often to shop, dine and attend concerts and other special events,” Uhrin said. “They can come down during the day to enjoy the beach and come back again that night for dinner or to see a free concert without having to worry about paying for parking each time.”
Popular programs
Officials said the new parking offerings have already proven to be popular among residents.
During the first few weeks of the program, information about the passes was shared via social media posts and more than 60 passes were sold. The first weekend the loyalty card was distributed, nearly 2,000 were given out. More cards are being printed to meet the expected future demand, officials said.
“We’ve had a very positive response to both the seasonal passes and the loyalty cards,” said Rob Fries, the city’s parking manager. “The benefits of these programs are two-fold; they help ease the burden of parking for residents and visitors at the oceanfront, and they provide incentives to help drive increased visitation to the resort area.”
The seasonal parking passes can be used at municipal parking lots only and can be purchased at the lots on 2nd Street, 4th Street, 19th Street, Rudee Loop and the Croatan lot.
The loyalty cards can be used at all municipal lots and garages and are being distributed at those locations as well.
