Latest news with #GloucesterBeaches
CBS News
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Gloucester raises non-resident beach parking price, requires online reservation
A price hike for non-residents visiting Gloucester's popular beaches is now in effect. People showed up this week paying more than $40 to park. "We came two years ago, and it was $20 a car. Now it's double. We didn't know we had to pay for the entire night. We are paid up until 9 p.m. tonight," said John Lacaire, a teacher who brought students from Worcester Technical High School to the beach as part of a field trip. "We are here with some of our students for a field trip, so no way we can stay until 9 p.m." Reservations required The price went up $10 from last season. City Councilor Jeff Worthley says he started the push to have a reservation system for non-residents before he got on the council. Lacaire also had no idea that he and his colleague Paul Chambers had to make a reservation online before parking with the students. "They had us leave the parking lot so we could make the reservation online. We left, drove down the street, made a reservation, came back five minute later, and they let us in," said Lacaire. "Our numbers have been through the roof as far as people wanting to come to the beach," said Worthley. "If it turns out somehow this impacts demand, and we don't have many people coming, we can reduce the price." Worthley says costs have gone up to maintain the beaches. They do provide bathrooms, lifeguards, and safety measures. City trying to offset costs "Our costs have gone up on everything, and so this is a way to offset that, and do it in a way that taxpayers in Gloucester aren't having to shoulder the whole burden," said Worthley. "We did go up $10 more per car per day. We like to think that when you carpool with four to five people that's an affordable family friendly destination." Local residents pay far less to park. There are two options. For residents, they can pay $20 for a beach-only parking sticker. They can also apply for a sticker that gets them access to beaches and other city amenities like their compost station. That sticker is $5 for a 5-year span that resets every five years. If you apply for the sticker later in the 5-year span, it will cost less. "A lot of beaches and a lot of people keep coming in, it became a big traffic problem," said Dick Pokolek, a Gloucester resident who has the five-year sticker. "The backups for traffic were so heavy that they had to find a solution." "Before they started doing the reservation system, sometimes you could get here and not have a parking space. I understand why they did it, but it's just too much," said Diane Messuri who came with friends and was stunned to pay more than $40 to park. "Why do I have to pay this much every time I come, and just because they live in the town, they get such a bargain?"
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Parking fee hikes in effect for non-residents at Gloucester beaches
To visit Gloucester public beaches from Memorial Day through Labor Day, non-residents are now paying $10 more for a daily parking pass, according to the City of Gloucester's website. The current rate is $45 for non-residents on weekends and holidays; $40 for the week. This change stems from a decision made by Gloucester City Council members back in January. It applies to Good Harbor and Wingaersheek beaches, as well as Stage Fort Park that each provide 500 parking spaces for non-residents. 'I was thinking like $20, maybe… but I mean parking like we're going to a Red Sox game in Boston in the middle of summer,' said Boden Belanger of Londonderry New Hampshire. Then, there were beachgoers who came from ever farther away, like the Moran family of Westfield. 'I think it's a lot of money to spend the day at the beach,' said Kim, who drove roughly 2.5 hours with her husband and daughter to visit Good Harbor Beach. The Moran family also encountered some difficulty navigating the city's online reservation system that was implemented a few years ago. According to the city, the reservations are non-refundable and can only be paid for with a credit or debit card. Signs can be seen posted near the beach to remind people of the changes. Gloucester's Permits 'We showed up to come in here, and they told us we had to leave and reserve online,' said Brendan Moran. 'We left and came back two minutes later.' While there may be some confusion and aggravation for some, others have seen improvements in traffic around their neighborhoods now that the reservation system is in place. 'It spreads out the traffic much, much better for us as residents,' explained Bob Maresca, who has a home in Gloucester. 'Before we couldn't get out of our house, out of our driveway.' To learn more about the changes to parking for non-residents and residents, as well as frequently asked questions, click here. Beach Information | Gloucester, MA - Official Website Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
