NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Plans are moving forward to improve parking in one of the busiest tourist spots in all of Central Florida. On Tuesday, New Smyrna Beach city leaders unanimously voted in favor of a plan they hope will give not just tourists, but locals, some relief.

What You Need To Know

  • At their latest city commission meeting, New Smyrna Beach city leaders approved a plan to have an engineering firm - LTG Inc. – come up with solutions to the city’s parking problems

  • LTG will look at everything from parking garages, to parking shuttles, to scooter and bike rentals as possible solutions for four areas of the city – Flagler Avenue, Canal Street, the North Causeway, and Venetian Bay Village Center

  • City leaders say it will take about eight months for the engineering firm to come up with a plan, but they may hold off until the busier tourist season to start that process so they can get a more accurate account of the parking issues

According to the plan, an engineering firm called LTG Inc. will propose solutions to the city’s parking problems.

In the past, one solution was to limit parking along the busy Flagler Avenue to four hours. The idea was to stop all-day beachgoers from parking there.

But that’s a problem for people like Khaliel Gauntlett. He works at a surf shop along the busy street.

“Every four hours, you have to move the vehicle off of Flagler, maybe in a parking lot or something, and just keep moving it every four hours so you can avoid getting a ticket,” he said. “If you work anywhere on Flagler, it’s really difficult, man.”

LTG will look at everything from parking garages, to parking shuttles, to scooter and bike rentals as possible solutions for four areas of the city—Flagler Avenue, Canal Street, the North Causeway and Venetian Bay Village Center.

Gauntlett has his own suggestions, but until there is a permanent solution, the daily struggle continues.

“If there were more parking passes for local people and then they made people who aren’t from here park further away, that would help out more,” he said. “It’s like a war. It’s challenging, but you do what you’ve got to do and just hope you find parking.”

City leaders say it will take about eight months for the engineering firm to come up with a plan, but they may hold off until the busier tourist season to start that process so they can get a more accurate account of the parking issues.

There’s also a plan by a real-estate agent to offer up a property to help the city to develop more parking spaces. City leaders are currently reviewing that proposal to see if they want to move forward.