ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The city of St. Augustine is now responding to concerns from visitors and neighbors about the decision to double the cost of leaving your car at the city’s parking garage from $20 to $40 per day during the Nights of Lights.
Action News Jax spoke with city manager David Birchim, who told us parking prices at the garage are higher to push traffic away from downtown.
READ: 2025 Nights of Lights Guide 🎄 | What to know about parking, shuttles, best ways to enjoy event
“We don’t want people to drive downtown and park in the garage. We want people to park for free at our park and ride sites and get shuttled into town,” said Birchim.
The city’s website shows that the $40 price for parking applies mostly to the weekends, though some weekdays are included depending on the day you visit the Nights of Lights. The city is opening up three lots around the historic district for free parking and free shuttle service to and from downtown.
“[This decision] is not to make money. We’re not trying to monetize [parking],” Birchim said, “when visitors on their way home after they’ve enjoyed the Nights of Lights, then they’re out of the downtown area, and it makes it easier for them to get home.”
Action News Jax spoke with visitors about the change in downtown parking prices. Some told us they are deciding not to visit the Nights of Lights now that parking is more expensive, even though there are free parking options available further away.
“I think it’s outrageous,” said John Mularney, a visitor from Connecticut now changing his plans to see the Nights of Lights, “I wouldn’t come just because they doubled the price, and I wouldn’t waste my time.”
We also heard from some downtown-area businesses whose workers are considering applying for the city’s new ‘workforce parking permits,’ which city leaders tell Action News Jax just became available, in part, to allow those working downtown to reserve parking spaces near where they’ll work during the Nights of Lights.
“I think the permit idea would definitely be really good. It just saves us time,” said Jackie Kohler, manager of the Peace Love and Little Donuts shop on Cathedral Place. Kohler said she and some of her coworkers had to leave home more than an hour early during the last Nights of Lights season because of how difficult it was to find parking.
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Kohler said an option like this keeps her closer to her car, but she and her coworkers aren’t sure they can afford the $50 - $80 per month they would end up paying to keep their spot, depending on the lot.
“I would say that might be more on the expensive side,” said Mason Harrington, who works with Kohler, “but I might just give it a week or two and see how it is.”
The city told Action News Jax that the Toques Lot, one of the workforce parking lots, is already sold out. But you can apply to one of the other lots by clicking the link here. The city said that, unlike the rise in prices for the parking garage, the workforce parking program will continue after the Nights of Lights, which begins this weekend.
The city also has a new app this year to inform visitors about parking, shuttles, and even restroom locations for the Nights of Lights. It’s called ‘Nights of Lights,’ and can be found for free on your app store.
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