Port Aransas to get beach parking lots to allow flow of emergency vehicles

Nueces County officials are having parking lots created to address vehicle access at Port Aransas beaches. 

Sunday, Port Aransas Mayor Charles Bujan said the city could no longer afford to enforce a county-wide vehicle ban at Port Aransas beaches. Vehicles could drive and park on beaches beginning Sunday. 

Bujan also said the vehicle ban created a safety issue because beach parking blocked streets to EMS access. 

According to the order by Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales, vehicles are restricted from the beach until Aug. 17. Pedestrian access to the beach is permitted, and vehicles with a disabled parking placard or license plate will be allowed on the beach. 

The order was put in place after a rise in COVID-19 cases in Nueces County. 

During a County Commissioner's Court meeting Wednesday, Emergency Management Coordinator Melissa Munguia explained what plans are in the works to address the problem. 

Munguia said the public works department is working to create parking lots near access road entrances to the beach. 

"...That's going to be a closed off parking lot and what this is really doing is this is taking the cars that are parking up and down the streets in Port Aransas out of the way of emergency response vehicles," Munguia told commissioners. " So the creation of these parking lots was due to a safety issue."

The creation of about six parking lots will happen in the next few days.

Alexandria Rodriguez covers breaking news and crime in South Texas. Support local news by checking out our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe