The search for quarters begins on Thursday (May 1) as Ocean City activates its parking meters for the season.
Drivers who have enjoyed free parking at all metered spaces and municipal parking lots island-wide since Oct. 31 will now have to pay.
Parking is big business in Ocean City, and the municipality expects to collect about $2,785,000 from meters and municipal parking lot fees between now and the end of October, when the meters go idle again.
Ocean City replaced 800 traditional meters last summer with new meters that accept credit cards. The new meters were placed on most streets close to the Ocean City Boardwalk, on the north-end beachfront along Beach Road and E. Atlantic Boulevard and on the far south end along Central Avenue and 59th Street. The program also included parking lots near the Ocean City-Longport Bridge, across from Ocean City High School, and at 14th and 59th streets.
An amended ordinance raised fees for the new credit-card meters from 25 cents per 15 minutes to 25 cents per 10 minutes (or $1.50 per hour).
The meters accept credit cards, debit cards or coins. For card payments, parking is available only in half-hour increments. Four-hour or six-hour maximum parking limits remain in effect.
Meters in the downtown shopping district remain at 25 cents per hour. Fees for municipal parking lots vary depending on time and location.
