REHOBOTH BEACH, DE - City leaders in Rehoboth Beach discussed the results of a city traffic study Monday morning. The study recommended multiple possible changes, including the possibility of extending the length of paid parking in the city.
The proposed, extended paid parking season would run from May 1st through October 31st. The possibility of discounting parking rates before Memorial Day and after Labor Day was also listed on that proposal.
City officials said the potentially extended season would help manage the parking demands in the increasingly busy shoulder season.
Other recommendations from the study included the possibility of increasing parking spaces downtown, with the potential to add a parking garage. Another recommendation included the possibility of increasing bus access into and around the city.
A full breakdown of the study and its recommendations for the city can be found on the city's website. City leaders said the entire study worked to identify problem areas and then provided a possible road map to address them.
Isabela Fontinha, who lives and works in downtown Rehoboth Beach, said empty parking spots can be few and far between in the busy months.
"During the on season it's so busy, it's really hard," Fontinha said. "Most people just take the bus downtown, so I do think it would be great to have more parking spaces."
Another Rehoboth Beach neighbor, Leslie Triplett, shared a similar opinion with WBOC. Triplett also said, however, that she's worried about the possibility of extending paid parking.
"I think it would be a real blow to the small business owners here in the city as well as the restaurant owners," Triplett said.
Yolanda Pineda owns the Mariachi Restaurant in downtown Rehoboth Beach. Pineda said she also worries about what extending the paid parking season could mean for their business.
"It seems like the city is kinda pushing everyone out from our businesses," Pineda said. "But they need us, and we need them."
City officials said that the city commissioners will focus on discussing the potential of extending the paid parking season in the coming months. They will do so at their next meeting on November 15th, according to city leaders.
