A wave of frustration is sweeping through New Braunfels as downtown visitors and residents react to the city’s newly enforced parking program, one that resulted in nearly 1,500 citations in its first month.
The City of New Braunfels tells MySA that the program is designed to support downtown businesses by improving parking turnover, but many residents and visitors feel blindsided by the sudden changes.
“The City values the health of the downtown businesses and that’s exactly why the paid parking program was introduced,” the City said in a statement. “The goal is to improve turnover of spaces closest to shops and restaurants so customers can more easily find parking. Instead of leaving all street parking to be unregulated, a managed system ensures that parking is used efficiently and supports broader community goals.”
Officials emphasized that prior to the program, “many prime spots were occupied all day, limiting access for visitors.” They emphasized that the majority of downtown parking remains free, with 1,080 free spaces compared to 263 paid spots. On-street parking is free for the first hour and then costs $2 per hour, capped at $10 per day.
The city added it is “monitoring business feedback and parking trends closely to ensure the program supports, rather than hinders, downtown activity.”
However, residents have voiced sharp criticism, especially on social media platforms.
Comments in the members-only Everything New Braunfels Facebook group have ranged from “Yet another reason NOT to visit downtown” to “this is the dumbest thing to do to encourage more people to come to [New Braunfels] and “Stop treating NB like it’s a theme park.”
On a MySA Facebook post reacting to the changes, Randy Barron posted, “Anything to squeeze a buck out of anyone who visits the area.”
Meanwhile on Reddit, user Yuckyboots wrote that free downtown parking was something they used to “brag about” in New Braunfels, ending their post with a broken heart emoji. While Klixx333 wrote “This is a money grab. People are making money off this, and it isn’t the people of New Braunfels.”
Not all comments were negative. Whataablunder noted, “Tourists should have to pay for parking downtown. Unfortunately locals will suffer the consequences, but I’m not going to boycott downtown because of it. Most big cities have paid parking, it’s not some crazy new concept.”
Regarding the timing of the rollout, which coincided with the summer tourist season, the City said: “Rolling out during the summer ensured the program was in place when parking demand is highest, so we could address congestion at its peak.”
There had been extensive public outreach leading up to the launch, New Braunfels reminded, ranging from press releases and website updates to emails directly to residents, public presentations, information sessions and direct communication with downtown merchants.
“This program has been discussed publicly for almost two years with many public meetings and many opportunities for residents and downtown business owners to provide feedback,” the City replied.
New Braunfels also pushed back on claims that the program is a “cash grab.”
“The program was not designed to generate profit — it was designed to better manage parking availability downtown,” the City said in a statement to MySA. “Any revenue from paid parking is dedicated to maintaining and improving parking infrastructure, supporting public safety in the downtown area, and funding amenities that enhance the downtown experience. In other words, the dollars generated go right back into keeping downtown accessible, safe, and welcoming.”
Accessibility concerns have also been raised. The City responded: “Accessibility is a priority. Free parking lots are located within downtown, especially those that are open during the busiest times on weekday evenings, weekends, and holidays and ADA-accessible spaces remain available in free lots. Additionally, vehicles with Disabled Veteran plates always park for free.”
As citations continue to rise and online backlash grows, the City says it will continue listening to residents and businesses to refine the program.
“We recognize that change takes time, and we are continuing to adjust messaging and education to make sure residents and visitors feel informed,” the City said in a statement.
