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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — One popular North Shore beach might be easier to get a spot at during the summer of 2024.
The Trustees of Reservations announced they will be phasing out free year-round beach passes for Trustees at Crane Beach over the year to combat the lack of parking spots. Going forward, members will be able to receive discounts upon entry instead.
"Because permit holders could reserve multiple tickets during each release, they might reserve two or three a day and only come on the day that worked for them, many of them did put the unused tickets back on, but many did not," Peter Pinciaro, Director of the Crane Estate, told WBZ's Kendall Buhl. "It was preventing a lot of folks from accessing the beach."
The Crane Beach Parking Permit Program has grown in popularity over the past few years, causing there to be more permits than parking spots making it difficult to reserve a ticket. Pinciaro said eliminating permits for trustees members in favor of discounts will help to make more tickets available.
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"We've gotten so much negative feedback from our members, our permit holders, and the general public about their inability to secure a ticket to the beach that we just needed to intervene," said Peter Pinciaro, Director of the Crane Estate.
Critics of the Trustees' move to phase out the permits believe it is a financial decision to get more money.
WBZ's Kendall Buhl says Pinciaro disputes this saying the extra money at the gate will be offset by the loss of members who are only interested in the free beach days.
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