Tampa Parking Rules Change Beginning July 1, 2023
If you’ve parked downtown, you know that it can be difficult. The City of Tampa is trying a couple new parking rules to make things easier.
Starting Saturday, July 1, 2023, here’s what the City of Tampa‘s Parking Division will be trying.
In order to make parking more accessible to both residents and visitors, these are the two new rules:
First, there’s ADA Accessibility. Anyone who has a disabled parking permit or license plate will be permitted to park for up to four hours for free at any marked on-street metered space. If you have the permit or license plate, you will not need to use a pay station or use any of the mobile apps.
Mayor Jane Castor said, in a statement:
“We’re excited to launch these changes the day of Boom by the Bay, allowing families and visitors of all abilities to enjoy our downtown without barriers or limitations. By providing hours of free ADA parking spaces throughout Tampa, we are sending a clear message that every individual, regardless of their abilities, deserves equal opportunities to participate in and experience all that our community has to offer.”
The second is for those who aren’t in need of ADA accessibilty. There are four apps that can be accessed through the App Store or Google Play Store that can be used to pay for parking at the 16,000+ parking spaces in the city. Those apps are Passport, PayByPhone, ParkMobile, and Flowbird, and they are all free to download.
According to Austin Britt, Parking Planning Coordinator for the City of Tampa, this gives residents and visitors more options to use mobile apps.
Click here for details on parking rates in Tampa.
[Source: City of Tampa]
You Aren’t A True Floridian Until You’ve Done These 9 Things
1. Hurricane Party
If you’ve lived in Florida long you know we deal with hurricane season every year. Some people are extra prepared for it to begin and most of us just wing it! As a matter of fact, depending on the category we either host a hurricane party or go to one we’ve been invited to by our friends. We most likely know we’ll lose power so bring a flash light, a 12 pack and lets party!
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2. Seeing Alligator In The Wild
Alligator are everywhere in Florida and like to hide in retention ponds or even golf courses. Your chances of seeing one in the wild are pretty high! Alligators are known for their aggressive behavior and there’s been many encounters with humans in the new recently. Gators will most likely attack when they feel threatened. If you live in the state of Florida it’s important to understand their behavior and take necessary precautions to stay safe especially in alligator infested lakes.
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3. Late Night Waffle House Visits
It doesn’t have to be after the club necessarily, it could be a night out drinking. But a main staple here in Florida is to hit up a Waffle House early in the morning or if you’re dealing with a horrible hangover.
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4. Catching Lizards
If there’s one thing we have it’s an abundance of lizards everywhere! They’re always running around and when it’s mating season you see them stick out their red throats looking for love. One thing we always did as kids was catching the lizards and then we would wear them as earrings. We’d gently open their mouths and have them hang off our finger or ear.
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5. Ordering Publix Sub
This isn’t even a question. If you grew up in Florida you have a favorite Pub sub. Even though they’re all delicious it’s a must to eat one every month. They’re the best!
Floridians love Publix. In some areas, you can’t drive more than a mile without seeing more than one.
Photo: Geno/BBGI6. Shooting Guns
Whether you’re going to the gun range or practicing outside Florida is known for their guns. If you’ve lived here for a while most likely you’ve had some target practice.
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7. Stuck In Disney I-4 Traffic
Whether you’re driving to Disney, Universal or Sea World you will 100% get caught in I-4 traffic. It doesn’t matter the time of day or night because there’s so many Florida visitors that have no idea where they’re driving. Always give yourself extra time when driving through or to Orlando.
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8. Scary Weather Turns Beautiful In Minutes
It could look like a tropical storm outside especially in Summer but wait 5 minutes and it’ll be gone! You might not believe me. If you’re a true Floridian you’ve seen this happen more times than not.
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9. ZigZag Run From Gators
When living in Florida you might learn about a lot of myths and one big one is the Zigzag run. Growing up you always hear that if an alligator runs at you, you should run in a zigzag pattern. This will help you avoid getting caught because they can’t follow you. FALSE! In fact, alligators can reach speeds of 25 mph, so you need to run as fast as you can, away from an alligator in a straight line if possible.
(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/WireImage)
