RI State Beaches To Raise Parking Capacity After Crowded Weekend

NARRAGANSETT, RI — Starting this weekend, more parking will be available at Rhode Island's state beaches. Changes were made following long lines and frustration at state beaches amid scorching weather last weekend.

Over the weekend, state beach parking lots reached capacity and had to be closed early in the day, in some places before noon. This led to long lines of cars waiting for open spots and angry residents, Gov. Gina Raimondo said.

To alleviate this issue, parking capacity will be raised to 75 percent from the current 50 percent starting this weekend. While this has the potential to increase crowding on beaches, the governor said she believes it will simply make it easier to park, saying many people illegally parked in nearby neighborhoods or were dropped off during the past weekend.

"I am putting my faith in the people of Rhode Island," Raimondo said. "Let's get this right. Let's have fun."

Beachgoers are encouraged to purchase their parking pass in advance online. After this weekend, no more season passes will be sold, as another effort to reduce daily crowding. Anyone who wants a season pass must buy one in the next few days.

The Department of Environmental Management is also working on an online tool to check parking capacity before heading to the beach, which will hopefully reduce long lines from people who are hoping there will be an empty spot.

As capacity increase on beaches, Raimondo reminded Rhode Islanders that it's even more important to bring a mask to wear in public areas and avoid gathering in large groups.

Patch editor Scott Souza contributed to this report.