Bay County To Launch Paid Parking at M.B. Miller Pier

Panama City Beach, FL – Beginning Friday, April 12, visitors to the M.B. Miller Bay County Pier can use the Passport Parking app to pay for on-site parking at any of more than 300 spaces. The app, powered by mobility management company Passport, enables users to digitally pay for parking without using a meter or pay station.

“This new parking initiative ensures that the people who are using public parking at the pier are also helping pay for the continued maintenance and operations costs of the facility, rather than that expense being borne by all Bay County taxpayers,” Bay County Chief of Infrastructure Keith Bryant said. “And locals may purchase a yearlong pass that will only cost them 21 cents per day to park, extrapolated.”

The cost to park at the county pier is $2 an hour or $12 per day. The first 15 minutes are free. Annual parking only passes may be purchased for $80 through the Passport app. Annual fishing passes for the city and county pier may be purchased for $120 and annual spectator passes for $90 at the Russell Fields Pier or at Frank Brown Park. The fishing and spectator passes for the pier include parking.

Signage featuring a QR code to download the Passport app will be placed throughout the parking lot, and users simply download the free app, create an account with their vehicle and payment information and start a parking session. When time expires, users are notified via text and have the option to extend the session without having to return from their vehicle.

County employees are installing the signage, tag readers, and enforcement cameras in-house, saving the county approximately $100,000 in program implementation costs. Annual pier and fishing passes, available for purchase by those who live or own property in Bay County, include the cost of parking for two vehicles.

The Passport Parking app is free to download from the App Store and Google Play. Users can

also manage their parking online at passportparking.com.