Volusia residents would drive on the beach free under new proposal, visitors would pay more
Volusia County residents could soon pay nothing to drive and park on county beaches under a new proposal that would also bring sharp cost increases to visitors.
The proposed changes are part of a larger parking system overhaul. The County Council voted unanimously this week to find firms to run the new parking system and agreed on a proposed list of fees, but the plans must come back for a final vote.
The changes include adding a paid parking system for county off-beach parking lots with a mobile payment system and license plate recognition technology to help with enforcement. The county also plans to add license plate recognition and automation at beach access ramps, including having some fully automated access at ramps with a low traffic volume.
The fee changes would save residents a chunk of money.
Currently, residents pay $25 for an annual pass for vehicle access on the beach. Visitors pay $20 a day and $100 for an annual pass. Under the proposal, residents wouldn't pay anything. But visitors would pay $30 a day and $150 for an annual pass.
The council supported having the policy for free beach vehicle access for residents expire on Jan. 31, 2026, unless the future council votes to reauthorize it.
Residents also would not pay to park in off-beach parking lots. But visitors would pay $20 a day and $100 for an annual pass.
For inlet parks, residents would still need to pay to get vehicle access.
The Council is expected to vote on the fee changes this summer, according to county spokesman Clayton Jackson. If approved the new fees will be in effect on Oct. 1.
The firm managing the parking system would take over on Oct. 1, too. The Council supported allowing the new firm up to 12 months to fully implement new technology.
Bartlett estimated that revenues from the parking system with the fees recommended by the Council would bring in over $13.4 million a year in net revenue. The county expects to bring in over $7.8 million in beach user fees this budget year.
District 4 Councilman and Vice Chair Troy Kent started advocating for free beach vehicle access for residents even before he joined the council.
He said it would be a "huge win for Volusia County residents" and help the most financially vulnerable in the county.
Kent, a lifelong Ormond Beach resident, said he grew up taking trips to the beach with his family. He said his mother, who was a homemaker, would load him and his siblings into the family's station wagon for a day at the beach.
"Us six kids thought it was a day at Disney World, She'd bring a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter and a jar of jelly, and we had a great day. There's a lot of families like that," he said.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia residents could get free beach driving starting this year
