Galveston voters extend paid Seawall parking, approve fee change

Galveston, TX – May 4, 2019 – Galveston residents on Saturday voted to extend the Seawall Boulevard paid parking program and change hourly rates from $1 to $2 – approving a program that has helped fund and maintain amenities on one of the island’s busiest roadways.

Galveston residents voted to approve the extension of the Seawall paid parking program. The vote was 67.97 percent in favor of the measure. The paid parking program is set to expire July 27, 2020. The election outcome extends the program to December 31, 2029.

As part of the ballot measure, Galveston voters also approved increasing the parking fee from $1 to $2 an hour between the current paid parking hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily, with a maximum fee of $16 daily. The measure also allows for an annual parking permit on Seawall Boulevard not to exceed $45.

“I thank the voters of Galveston for voicing their opinion and supporting the continuation of the Seawall Paid Parking program,” Mayor Jim Yarbrough said. “This program affords the city the ability to add and maintain new amenities to the Seawall in a manner that visitors contribute to the cost. The passage of this measure is a positive step for Galveston.”

Voters initially approved the Seawall Boulevard paid parking program in 2013. Since, the program has been used to maintain important improvements along the Seawall enjoyed by residents and visitors to the island.

As expressed in the ballot language, the revenue generated from paid parking along the Seawall will go toward funding additional improvements along the Seawall, including additional bathrooms, lighting, landscaping and other potential Seawall amenities.

“I am happy that the voters have approved the extension and changes to the Seawall Parking Program,” City Manager Brian Maxwell said. “Allowing those that use our beaches to relieve our local tax payers of the burden of paying to install and maintain amenities is a win for everyone.”

A Seawall parking ad hoc committee helped develop the ballot language and considered parking programs in other coastal communities when setting their recommendations.

The City of Galveston thanks everyone who voted in the May election for their civic participation. For more information about the paid parking program, please contact the City’s Public Information Office at 409-797-3546 or email publicinformationoffice@galvestontx.gov.