Get Ready to Pay More to Park in Ocean City This Summer

Those trips to the Ocean City beach and boardwalk are going to cost you more this summer.

An increase in parking fees was announced this week at the Ocean City Council meeting, according to ocnjdaily.com.

The New Cost of Ocean City Parking Lots

The new maximum fee to park in Ocean City parking lots is rising from $20 a day to $25 per day during the summer tourist season.

The New Cost of Parking Meters in Ocean City

Parking meters in Ocean City fall into zones for the beach and boardwalk or for downtown shopping on Asbury Avenue.

The cost for parking meters in the beach and Boardwalk parking zone is rising from $1.50 an hour to $2 per hour.

Parking in the downtown zone is increasing from 25 cents an hour to 50 cents an hour.

Some Parking Meters Will Remain Operational All Year

Downtown parking meters will also be in operation longer in Ocean City

Ocnjdaily.com reports that this new parking plan will keep the downtown meters between 6th and 14th streets working from 9 am to 9 pm between May and October as they were previously, but they will now remain operational year-round in the off-season between 9 am and 6 pm.

The year-round extension of downtown parking meters and increase in rates comes at the suggestion of the Downtown Merchants Association, a group representing business owners.

The hope is that raising the cost of the downtown parking meters will help keep those spots available for shoppers instead of beach or boardwalk goers who had been using them because they were less expensive than the meters in the beach and boardwalk zone.

When Will the Parking Rates Change in Ocean City?

The changes to the parking ordinance are scheduled for a public hearing and final vote at the April 13 Council meeting.

Whether you are going to the beach, the boardwalk, or shopping on Asbury Avenue, it's likely it will cost you more to park in Ocean City in 2023.