Memorial Day is just around the corner, but summer parking and beach regulations in Rehoboth Beach are already here.
The newest regulation, the smoking ban on the beach, Boardwalk, and Bandstand, and in city parks, went into effect May 15.
Smokers can light up only in designated smoking areas between the dune crossings on the beach.
Commissioner Stan Mills, lead sponsor of the smoking ordinance, said the ban will reduce litter and both first-and secondhand smoke.
Mills said fewer than one in five Rehoboth visitors smoke, so he does not anticipate any problems. City officials have said enforcement will not be heavyhanded, but violations carry a $25 fine that can go to $50 if not paid.
Mayor Sam Cooper said he also expects compliance with the smoking ban. To ensure compliance, the city erected 170 signs around the city near areas where smoking is banned. Cooper, who worked with Mills to make sure the signs were not too obtrusive, said he hopes to reduce the number of signs as visitors get familiar with the smoking ban.
Parking meters are in effect starting Friday, May 23, every day from 10 a.m.-midnight until Monday, Sept. 8. Cost of parking remains as it has for the past three years: $1.50 per hour except at 30-minute meters, which are $1 per half hour.
Beachgoers can use quarters or the Parkmobile pay-by-phone system. Change for quarters can be found at the kiosks at Rehoboth Avenue and First Street and in front of City Hall. Parking permits went on sale April 21 and are in effect in the nonmetered areas from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Labor Day. Permits can be purchased at the Rehoboth Parking Department office, 30 ½ Rehoboth Ave., and at the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce visitors center, 501 Rehoboth Ave.
This is the second year for Rehoboth’s scooter parking program, which remains unchanged. Scooter riders can purchase a $40 permit to park at the designated scooter corrals throughout the city and in residential areas, or pay the meter to park in a metered area. The city sold 609 permits in the first year of the program.
Bicycling on the Boardwalk is now only allowed from 5-10 a.m. Activities banned during the summer are left-hand turns at the Rehoboth Avenue traffic signals, skateboards on the sidewalks and dogs on the beach, which lasts until Tuesday, Sept. 30.