How to avoid a parking ticket on Anna Maria Island and Bradenton, Manatee beaches
Some of the most coveted real estate in the Bradenton area can be found in Anna Maria Island’s free parking spaces.
The first thing to know is that the island has three municipalities with different rules: Anna Maria, Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach.
Here’s where beach goers can find it, and what they should avoid.
Free parking lots
▪ Anna Maria Bayfront Park, 310 North Bay Blvd., Anna Maria, near the Anna Maria City Pier. The park is open sunrise to midnight, unless otherwise posted or allowed by special permit.
▪ Coquina Beach, 2650 Gulf Drive, Bradenton Beach. The park is open sunrise to midnight, unless otherwise posted or allowed by special permit.
▪ Manatee County Public Beach, 4000 State Road 64 and Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. The park is open from sunrise to midnight, unless otherwise posted or allowed by special permits.
▪ Cortez Beach, 1506 Gulf Drive South, Bradenton Beach. The park is open from sunrise to midnight, unless otherwise posted or allowed by special permits.
Other Bradenton Beach parking
The City of Bradenton Beach has limited public parking available off First Street North just east of the Circle K. The lot is also accessible off Bridge Street.
Limited parking is also available in the 400 block of Highland Avenue near the police department and south of the public works facility, under the cell tower.
Off-street parking is available where not prohibited. A parking ticket carries a $75 fine, and unauthorized parking in a handicap spot carries a $300 fine.
Other City of Anna Maria parking
Off-street parking in the City of Anna Maria is allowed where not prohibited by signs or by ordinance.
Parking violations include, but are not limited to:
▪ Where signs prohibit parking
▪ Parking on sidewalk
▪ Parking on street (all tires must be off the pavement)
▪ Parked facing the wrong direction
▪ Angle parking
▪ Parked within 30 feet of a stop sign
▪ Parked within 20 feet of an intersection
▪ Double parked
▪ Blocking driveway
▪ Parked between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
▪ Handicapped parking only.
A parking ticket carries a $50 fine. Unauthorized parking in a handicap space carries a $225 fine.
Other City of Holmes Beach parking
In addition to Manatee County Public Beach, off-street parking is available where not prohibited. However, the City of Holmes Beach has removed hundreds of parking spaces in neighborhoods to curb a problem with beach visitors blocking residential driveways, littering and relieving themselves on private property.
▪ In areas with signs that prohibit parking
▪ On a sidewalk
▪ On a crosswalk or within 20 feet of a crosswalk
▪ On a bicycle path
▪ Within 30 feet of a stop sign
▪ Within 30 feet of an intersection
▪ Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant
▪ In a manner which blocks a public or private driveway
▪ Within a handicapped zone or parking space without the proper license plate or hang-tag issued by a state
▪ Facing in the wrong direction
▪ For any vehicle parked in a right-of-way, all tires are required to be located fully within the right-of-way and no tire or part of a vehicle may be located in the roadway, except for on Key Royale Drive between Crestwood Road and North Point Drive.
▪ Double-parked, either side by side or tandem
▪ On private property without the permission of the property owner
A parking ticket carries a $75 fine. Unauthorized parking in a handicap spot carries a $250 fine.
Or take a free bus
Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) offers a free trolley on Anna Maria Island that operates 365 days a year with departures every 20 minutes from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
There are two trolleys working the island at the same time. One is northbound and the other is southbound. The northbound trolley departs Coquina Beach and has stops at Gulf Drive/Bridge Street, Gulf Drive/27th Street, Manatee County Public Beach, and Marina Drive/Gulf Drive, before arriving at the Anna Maria City Pier.
The southbound trolley departs from the Anna Maria City Pier and has stops at Gulf Drive/78th Street, Island Shopping Center, Manatee County Public Beach, Gulf Drive/27th Street, and Gulf Drive/Bridge Street before arriving at Coquina Beach.
In addition, MCAT has dropped all of its fares for trips within Manatee County.
This story was originally published January 20, 2023 at 9:00 AM.
