Here’s how to get free parking in Miami Beach, Miami and Coral Gables
Does your parking expire in five minutes?
Don’t run back to the car. And don’t worry.
At least if you’re in Coral Gables, Miami or Miami Beach.
This month, to lure holiday shoppers, the three South Florida cities are giving visitors who pay for meter parking an additional hour of parking for free.
Officials say it’s a way to say “thank you” to customers for supporting businesses in the city. They also hope it will help attract new customers to explore shops and restaurants that are not in a mall where there are acres and acres of free parking.
If you’re new to South Florida or need a refresher on the annual tradition, here’s how it works:
You park your car, pay the meter and go off to shop and eat.
Unlike the rest of the year, you won’t have to worry about finding a parking ticket on your windshield if you’re a little late.
Instead, you’ll find a note on your windshield that says your parking was given a one-hour extension for free.
But there is a catch.
The free hour extension is only available to drivers who have paid for meter parking and then ran out of time.
So, if you want to take advantage of the special, you’ll need to pay at least the minimum the meter allows. It varies by the city.
A shopper who doesn’t return to the car before the one-hour extension expires, and hasn’t paid to extend the time, could also find a parking ticket stuck to the windshield.
Where and When
The free holiday meter parking extension is being offered citywide in Coral Gables, Miami and Miami Beach.
▪ Coral Gables’ citywide “Gift of Time” began Friday and will run through Dec. 26.
▪ Miami’s citywide parking offer will be from Sunday to Jan. 1 at 11:59 p.m.
▪ Miami Beach’s citywide extension will be from Dec. 19 to Dec. 25.
