More Paid Parking is Coming to Diamond Beach

Unfortunately, another stretch of free beachfront parking in Diamond Beach is officially gone.

Lower Township has now approved a new ordinance (Ord #2026-04) that will bring more paid parking to one of the quietest and most sought-after beach areas in Cape May County.

For years, Diamond Beach stood out as one of the few places left where you could pull up a block back from the beach, park for free, and walk right onto the sand. That’s now changing.

Under the newly approved plan, the township will install around 160 seasonal, cashless parking meters throughout Diamond Beach.

These meters are expected to run from May 15 through October 15, operating daily between 8:00 AM and 10:00 PM. While pricing details are still expected to be finalized, the system will be app-based, meaning no coins, no kiosks, just digital payment.

From the township’s perspective, this isn’t about targeting homeowners. Officials say the goal is to get a handle on increasing parking congestion that has been building over the last few summers.

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Diamond Beach has seen a noticeable rise in beach traffic, and with that came issues like cars sitting in spots all day or even multiple days at a time. That created frustration for both residents and visitors trying to access the beach.

By introducing paid parking, the township is aiming to increase turnover and make parking more available throughout the day. There is also a financial component here, with early projections estimating the meters could generate between $150,000 and $175,000 per year in revenue.

It’s important to understand that paid public street parking itself is not new. For example, Memphis Ave and the beach had already had metered parking.

At this time, we don’t know which streets would be getting them or how far back. Usually, an ordnance gets paid, and then a finalized map + signage plan gets done later on.

On a side note, there’s also been a lot of chatter online about private beaches becoming public.

As of right now, there is no confirmed ordinance or official action that supports that claim. This change is strictly about parking, not beach ownership or access rights.

For homeowners, the biggest shift will likely come when it comes to guests. Anyone visiting during the summer season should expect to use the metered system. And for longtime visitors, it marks the end of something that made Diamond Beach unique.

A quiet, free, beachfront parking experience is now officially a thing of the past, unless you want to walk.