SARASOTA, Fla. — Finding parking at beach destinations in the Tampa Bay area is a very common issue, especially during holiday weekends.
With an influx of new residents coupled with visitors from all across the world coming to the beaches, there are just not enough parking spaces to accommodate everyone. This weekend, that problem was amplified in Sarasota with the boat race also in town leading up to the Fourth of July holiday.
There were no cars parked in the vegetation area along Benjamin Franklin Drive Wednesday because the area is not designated for parking. But on Sunday, several beachgoers defied the "no parking" signs in desperate need of a place to park.
The sight of the stretch of vehicles illegally parked and several posts from local law enforcement agencies advising of full parking lots at Lido Key Beach and Siesta Key Beach highlighted the parking problem along the coast.
"It is difficult to find parking on the busier days," said Lauren Brusadin, a Sarasota resident.
"Yesterday, I was there at 8 o'clock and the parking was full. Like, they were putting up messages at 8 a.m. or before 8 a.m. You were there well early enough and now by that time everybody knows it, it's all full," said Alisha Leopold, also of Sarasota.
Several people we spoke to both on and off camera said the lack of adequate parking, especially on the holidays, is a major turn-off.
"Yesterday, my husband went with the kids to Siesta Key and he wasn't able to find anything. They searched for parking but couldn't find anything. They ended up giving up and going home and we went to the pool," said Ana Samways, a tourist from Orlando. "We came to the beach [Lido] on Sunday. It was a challenge. We parked far back and had to walk all the way here, almost 15 to 20 minutes."
Some people, like Leopold, have decided to help avoid being caught in the busy parking lots by using services like Uber.
"I've got to the point where I just go somewhere else and have someone Uber closer to avoid all that [parking issues], but that shouldn't be the case, though," said Leopold. "I want my daughter to be able to know what it's like to go to the fireworks and see the boat races and stuff like that. But a lot of times we are stuck with not going to be able to because it's too much traffic.
"There is nowhere to park and do we want to really deal with it and that part gets really frustrating. It's like, you can't really enjoy your hometown."
While dozens of beachgoers were slapped with tickets, some reported faulty parking apps or machines or said they paid but still saw a parking ticket awaiting them when they returned to their vehicle.
"I added an extra hour, so it was really, like, two hours and then I looked and everybody on the road that was parked in those spots, they all had tickets too. So, I am, like, they probably paid too, you know, and they got a ticket on top of it," Leopold said.
Leopold is contemplating whether it is worth the trouble to dispute the ticket or to just pay the fee and move on from her experience.
Sarasota Mayor Kyle Battie said the majority of the tickets issued were for vehicles that were parked illegally.
"Parking in bike lanes, parking in walkways, blocking driveways and things like that," Battie said.
Battie said with the Sarasota area being a top destination, parking and traffic congestion will remain an ongoing issue but that the city council is working to get as many vehicles as possible off the roads.
"We have implemented things like the Bay Runner, the trolley, where you can leave your car parked inland and take it out to the barrier islands for free, and the scooters. We're doing everything we can with multi-modal initiatives to take cars off the road," Battie said.
Currently, there are more than 400 public parking spaces at the Lido Beach parking lot and adjoining areas and nearly a combined 1,500 spots at the Siesta Key beach and the surrounding areas. There are also two parking lots and a garage on St. Armands Circle.
Some say no matter the solutions, the reality is the area is just too small for big crowds that throng to it during weekends and holidays.
"I don't think these areas were designed for a lot, or as many people as they are getting. I would prefer that people rideshare, take public transportation, bike or walk if they live within a distance to do that. I don't think I want to see a bunch of parking garages here," said Brusadin.
A spokesperson for the City of Sarasota sent a statement to 10 Tampa Bay on Wednesday addressing the issues, which can be seen below. The number of tickets issued over the weekend was not available at this time of this publication.
"The Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix has drawn residents, visitors, and sports enthusiasts for nearly forty years to the City of Sarasota to experience this international event. It further enhances the City's designation by the U.S. News and World Report as the No. 5 best place to live in the U.S. and the number one place in Florida.
Motorists are expected to adhere to parking signage, and safety protocols, and respect private and public property. Parking citations during the Grand Prix weekend were only issued for public safety violations including blocking bike lanes, crosswalks, and fire hydrants, and parking in the median.
For convenience and to lessen traffic impacts, the City offers the Bay Runner trolley from downtown to Lido Beach, free of charge.
As the City balances the needs of residents and visitors, staff will consider and review plans for next year's Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix."
A spokesperson for Sarasota County also sent the following statement:
Sarasota County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources (PRNR) works with partners to manage parking and traffic at many of the public beaches and accesses during holidays.
- Sarasota County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) manages traffic and parking at Siesta Beach, Nokomis Beach, and North Jetty Park.
- SCSO and Sarasota Police Department (SPD) provide park and parking lot rule enforcement at South Lido Beach.
- SPD provides park and parking lot rule enforcement at Lido Beach.
- PRNR contracts with security services to manage parking at South Lido Beach and Caspersen Beach.
- Municipal law enforcement partners manage the traffic associated with beach visitation within those areas.
- There are over 975 parking spaces at Siesta Beach and approximately 500 additional public parking spaces on Siesta Key at locations including Turtle Beach and Siesta Beach Accesses.
- There is no means to track available parking at the beaches and expanded parking is not planned for Siesta Beach or other beaches managed by Sarasota County. Expanded parking, 125 spaces, was included in the 2016 redevelopment of Siesta Beach.
- We encourage beachgoers to always designate a sober driver and to consider alternative methods of getting to our beaches including walking, biking, ride-share, and Sarasota County Breeze Transit services.
- The City of Sarasota manages the Bay Runner trolley that services Lido Key year-round. https://sarasotabayrunner.com/