St. Pete Beach leaders consider parking rate increase, potentially bringing in $2 million more per year

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Published  March 24, 2026 9:34am EDT
FOX 13 News
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St. Pete Beach considers increasing parking rates

St. Pete Beach officials are considering a parking rate hike to boost city revenue and better handle high-demand areas. FOX 13's Heather Healy reports.

The Brief

    • The St. Pete Beach City Commission will discuss increasing parking rates, raising prices to $5 per hour Monday–Thursday and $6 per hour Friday–Sunday, up at least $1 per hour.
    • Officials are also considering additional surcharges, including a $1 "sunset rate" from 4–8 p.m., a seasonal surcharge from February through April, and holiday/event parking rates ranging from $40 to $75 per session.
    • The city currently brings in about $5.5 million annually from metered parking, and officials say the proposed changes could generate nearly $2 million more each year, though some worry about the rising cost for beach visitors.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - On Tuesday at 6 p.m., the St. Pete Beach City Commission will be addressing temporary parking and increasing the parking rates by at least a dollar an hour.

The backstory:

The increase would mean that all paid parking spaces would increase, making parking five dollars per hour from Monday through Thursday and six dollars per hour Friday through Sunday. 

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The city commission will discuss other topics including:

  • Establishing a "sunset rate" with a surcharge of $1.00 per hour for parking between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
  • Establishing a "seasonal rate" surcharge of $1.00 per hour during the period of February 1st through April 30th.
  • Eliminating the separate parking rate at the county park and applying the city’s standard parking rates.
  • Establishing a holiday and special events parking rate ranging from $40 to $75 per parking session, with the specific rate to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

With everything implemented, this could bring in nearly $2 million more dollars per year for the city.

The Source: Sources for this web article were gathered from the City Commission Meeting Agenda Report as well as St. Pete Beach’s website.

St. Petersburg