Photo credited to The City of Two Rivers Facebook page
The Two Rivers pilot parking program at Neshotah Beach looks to be off to a strong start.
City Manager Kyle Kordell tells SeehaferNews.com that the city collected more than $3,100 in gross revenue during its inaugural week, with people paying for parking in lots 2 and 3 at the beach.
That means 312 vehicles utilized 121 spaces.
Some of the money went to pay part-time staff, but other dollars will go back into Neshotah Beach.
Kordell emphasizes that the purpose of the paid parking pilot program is not just to generate revenue, but to “gather real-world data so the city council can make future decisions based on facts and conditions on the ground instead of assumptions or opinions only.”
Kordell says during the program, both lots reached capacity before noon on Saturday and by 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.
That, for him, means there is a strong demand for convenient parking close to the beach that people are willing to pay for.
Kordell says another thing that was noticed over the first weekend.
“We also didn’t observe any parking spill-over into nearby neighborhoods that you don’t normally get anyway,” he revealed.
Within the first weekend, Kordell says city staff estimates the program could generate more than $15,000 if similar conditions continue.
The Beach Paid Parking Pilot will continue on select days throughout the summer.
Data collected will be given to the city council, summarizing the program’s findings.
