Delray Beach enhances downtown parking with new guidance sensor system
DELRAY BEACH — A new parking system went into effect in mid-September in Delray Beach .
It's meant to provide guidance to drivers looking to park along State Road A1A and in the downtown area with the use of sensors offering real-time information on available parking spots, according to the city.
"This effort is designed to improve traffic circulation and minimize drivers' time looking for parking downtown," a Sept. 9 statement released by the city said.
The sensors, according to the city, will enhance the parking process for area residents and tourists alike.
The installation of the sensors started on Sept. 13 and ended Sept. 16.
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What are parking guidance sensors and how do they work?
The sensors are a form of vehicle-detection technology that provides drivers with real-time parking information.
Basically, they count cars and direct drivers to empty spots. They are often used in large lots, such as at airports with multistory garages.
These systems use different components to assist the driver, particularly with up-to-the-minute signs on how many spots are available. It can reduce the stress of finding an empty parking space.
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Here's how it works:
A detector will indicate if there is a vehicle in a space and when it has left that space. It sends a signal to a control-system hub that gathers the information and then distributes it to signs indicating where the open spots are.
The hub and the parking spaces are linked so they can all communicate real-time data to drivers looking for spots.
Delray's new 4-3-2 parking plan is in play
As the city becomes busier and more vibrant, spots along Atlantic Avenue and neighboring streets have become more difficult to find.
And parking in downtown costs more. Last year, a new pricing structure for the coveted spots along Atlantic was introduced. Parking prices along the beach on A1A changed, too, under a new 4-3-2 Plan.
The updated rates created a uniform parking system like the ones surrounding cities have. It also has encouraged people to use the city's parking garages, which typically remain below capacity.
Garages such as the one in Old School Square on Northeast First Avenue at Northeast First Street , just a block from Atlantic Avenue, and the Robert Federpiel on Southeast First Avenue just south of Atlantic are rarely at capacity.
The pricing system, as its name implies, breaks parking rates into three categories. They are based on the location where one is parking downtown:
$4 per hour along East Atlantic between A1A and Swinton Avenue.
$3 per hour along the beach on A1A.
$2 per hour everywhere else.
If spots are still filled, there are other lots that can be accessed, such as at the Delray Beach Public Library, which is shared with the South County Courthouse, on Southwest Second Avenue south of Atlantic Avenue . It may seem like a trek from East Atlantic, but it's only a few blocks from the action and usually is empty after the library closes.
Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at . Help support our work. Subscribe today .
