Three-Year Freeze Of Beach Parking Fees Supported By Mattiello

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A local lawmaker is looking to freeze proposed rate hikes for beach parking fees. Rep. Grace Diaz (D – Dist. 11, Providence), has introduced legislation to to prevent rate increases for the next three seasons.

"It’s only been two full seasons since we rolled back those fees," Rep. Diaz said. "Increasing them now would present a tremendous hardship to low-income residents throughout the state — many of whom cannot afford air-conditioning — and rely on the state’s beaches for summer recreation and cooling off. The last thing we want is to keep people from enjoying the state’s beaches, simply because they cannot afford it."

In 2011, lawmakers dramatically increased beach parking fees, bringing the price for a season pass to $60 for residents and $120 for nonresidents. Day passes, meanwhile, cost residents $10 and nonresidents $14. The fees were slashed by the 2016 state budget.

House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello (D-Dist. 15, Cranston) is also against the increase.

“In 2016, we lowered the beach fees to the current rate, and I believe it is too soon to raise them,” Speaker Mattiello said. “As the Ocean State, our beaches are one of our greatest assets and we need to keep the fees affordable for families to continue to enjoy. Representative Diaz, a member of the House Finance Committee, is submitting this bill and the House is working collaboratively with the Senate on this important issue to ensure the fees remain in place through 2021.”

Under the new pricing structure day passes would increase for residents by $2 to $8 on weekdays and $9 on weekends, and season passes would increase by $10 to $40. Nonresidents would pay $4 more on both weekends ($16) and weekends ($18), and season passes would cost $80, an increase of $20.

The Department of Environmental Management defended the proposed hikes, saying prices for beach parking will still be below comparable beaches in the area including Narragansett Town Beach and Sachuset Beach in Middletown.

Increases to Rhode Island camping fees included in the proposal have also come under fire by Rep. Dennis Canario, who said the increases would make camping less accessible to low income residents.