Clunky and frustrating are just two of the ways in which Atlantic Beach city officials have described the recent rollout of paid parking at Beaches Town Center.
At a recent meeting, Atlantic Beach City Commissioners made it clear that the start to the long-anticipated program has been far from smooth. They called for a possible joint meeting with neighboring Neptune Beach, which is coordinating the program, to resolve glitches.
Mayor Ellen Glasser said citizens have complained about having to run a credit card 25 times or more at a kiosk before getting it accepted to pay for parking.
Commissioners approved a plan to allocate revenues from the pilot parking program to alternative parking and transportation solutions. For the first year, however, 50 percent of any revenues from paid parking will be retained to pay off parking equipment costs in the event the paid program is cancelled.
