From the Gulf Coast Water Authority: This is a reminder that our annual chlorine maintenance will begin on Monday, April 6th at 9:00 AM.
During this period, GCWA staff will be flushing hydrants throughout the system. If you receive any related calls or inquiries, please be aware this activity is part of these maintenance efforts.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Changes to the City’s paid parking program to allow greater flexibility downtown and near UTMB are going into effect on Monday, March 23rd.
The Galveston City Council during a February meeting approved a new ordinance affecting paid parking in both the downtown and UTMB areas.
Under the approved changes, drivers will be able to pay in 30-minute increments after the first hour, rather than in full-hour increments only. The ordinance adds a transaction fee for payments made using PayByPhone. The downtown pay stations will not include a transaction fee.
These changes were requested by City Council to go into effect by April 1st. The city has worked with the paid parking vendor to implement these changes and will roll out the new capabilities on March 23rd.
The hourly parking rate will remain $2.25 and the 30-minute rate is $1.25. Each paid parking purchase is considered a transaction. Under the new ordinance, applicable transaction fees will be added to the parking rate. At this time, transactions made by phone or through the PayByPhone app will include a $0.30 transaction fee, which is subject to change. Drivers who pay at one of the 17 downtown pay stations will not be charged the transaction fee.
The downtown paid parking district includes the area from 20th Street to 25th Street and from Harborside Drive to Church Street. The UTMB parking district includes the area from 14th Street to Holiday Drive and from Harborside Drive to Broadway Boulevard.
The City of Galveston is inviting residents, visitors, businesses, and corridor users to share feedback on the future of transportation along Seawall Boulevard and FM 3005.
The City is evaluating the feasibility of a multimodal pathway along the corridor to improve safety, connectivity, and mobility for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, motorists, and the broader community. The study is looking at potential improvements along the island corridor and will help identify how future phases could be designed and prioritized.
As part of that effort, the City is also advancing design for an upcoming Seawall Boulevard resurfacing project between 6th Street and 61st Street. That project could include a pilot multimodal component, depending on the results of the study, public feedback, available funding, and direction from the state.
Multimodal lanes were identified as the third priority in a Seawall improvement study conducted in the early 2000s. At that time, residents highlighted three key needs along the Seawall: improved lighting, public restrooms, and multimodal lanes.
Since then, the city has made significant investments in lighting and restroom facilities along Seawall Boulevard and plans to continue expanding those improvements as funding becomes available. The proposed multimodal lanes represent the next step in enhancing accessibility, safety, and recreational opportunities along this iconic coastal corridor.
Residents, visitors, cyclists, pedestrians, and local businesses are encouraged to share their ideas and preferences regarding transportation along Seawall Boulevard. Community feedback will help ensure the project reflects the needs and priorities of the entire Galveston community.
We encourage all to participate in the survey.
Spring is the perfect time to get kids comfortable and confident in the water, and registration is now officially open for swim lessons at Lasker Park pool!
This season, we’re offering three separate two-week sessions, giving families flexible options to fit their schedules. Each session is designed to help children build essential water safety skills while also having fun and gaining confidence in the pool.
Our swim lessons are open to children ages 3 to 12, with instruction tailored to different skill levels — from beginners just getting used to the water to more experienced swimmers looking to improve their technique.
Spaces are limited and tend to fill quickly each season, so early registration is encouraged.
To sign up and learn more about available session dates, visit: galvestontx.gov/letsswim
We look forward to seeing your family at the pool this spring!
Spring break has officially arrived, and two popular West End beach access points are open and ready for visitors. Both Galveston Beach Pocket Park 1 and Galveston Beach Pocket Park 3 are now open daily through Sunday, March 22, giving beachgoers plenty of opportunities to enjoy the sand and surf. (Beach Pocket Park 3 is closed today, March 9 because of standing water, however.)
Whether you're planning a relaxing day by the water or a family beach outing, these parks provide convenient access to some of Galveston’s most scenic shoreline.
Visitors should note the following parking fees:
Pocket Park 1
$15 for beach parking directly on the sand
Pocket Park 3
$15 for beach parking on the sand
$10 for the parking lot
For those who plan to visit more than once this season, annual passes are available for $50 and can be purchased at the parks.
The pocket parks will remain open daily through March 22 for spring break. After that:
The parks will be open on weekends from late March through Memorial Day
They will return to daily operations during the summer season
The City of Galveston will begin the next round of its ongoing pavement preservation project in March, with more than 20 roadways scheduled for resurfacing across the island.
In 2023, the City completed a comprehensive pavement assessment of all roadways and developed a multi-year plan to address necessary repairs. The first round of improvements was completed in 2024. This next phase includes streets located in the West End, Midtown, and East End neighborhoods.
Residents who live on streets scheduled for repaving will receive advance notice via door hanger prior to the start of construction on their roadway.
The project is expected to continue through June at an estimated cost of approximately $1.5 million.
The contractor will apply a pavement preservation treatment known as microsurfacing, which helps extend the life of existing roadways and improve driving conditions. The project will be completed in a multi-step process consisting of:
There will be an anticipated gap of approximately 30 days between completion of the first two steps (asphalt patching and crack sealing) and the start of scrub sealing, microsurfacing, and pavement marking.
Drivers may experience minor traffic delays during construction. The City appreciates the public’s patience as we work to maintain and improve roadway conditions across Galveston.
Drivers visiting downtown Galveston and UTMB will soon notice changes to the City’s paid parking program.
The Galveston City Council on Thursday approved a new ordinance affecting paid parking in both the downtown and UTMB areas. The downtown paid parking district includes the area from 20th Street to 25th Street and from Harborside Drive to Church Street. The UTMB parking district includes the area from 14th Street to Holiday Drive and from Harborside Drive to Broadway Boulevard.
Under the approved changes, drivers will be able to pay in 30-minute increments after the first hour, rather than in full-hour increments only. The ordinance adds a transaction fee for payments made using PayByPhone. The downtown pay stations will not include a transaction fee. These changes were requested by City Council.
“These changes put forth by council give people more options,” City Manager Brian Maxwell said. “If someone is out to eat and needs just a few more minutes, they can elect a half-hour increment instead of having to pay more for time they won’t use.”
The hourly parking rate will remain $2.25 and the 30-minute rate is $1.25. Each paid parking purchase is considered a transaction. Under the new ordinance, applicable transaction fees will be added to the parking rate. At this time, transactions made by phone or through the PayByPhone app will include a $0.30 transaction fee, which is subject to change. Drivers who pay at one of the 17 downtown pay stations will not be charged the transaction fee.
The City of Galveston is working with its paid parking vendor to implement the changes and anticipates they will go into effect within the next four weeks. The public will be notified once an official start date is set.
The City of Galveston this week will kick off internal planning meetings for a multi-year improvement project spanning 20th to 26th streets and from Harborside Drive to Church Street. This effort is designed to enhance pedestrian safety, repair and widen sidewalks, improve ADA accessibility, and incorporate green infrastructure improvements, such as raingardens, while creating a more inviting and connected downtown.
In October, the Federal Transit Administration awarded the city a $24 million grant to fund construction. Notably, this grant requires no local match for construction costs, which is a significant win for Galveston taxpayers. In the past ten years, the city has secured more than $360 million in federal and state grants, including $60 million in 2025, through successful applications to competitive nationwide programs and close partnerships with our regional, state and federal partners. The most recent awards were achieved by leveraging Transportation Development Credits (TDCs) coordinated through H-GAC, minimizing the burden on local taxpayers.
The city was able to secure this highly competitive funding thanks to a 2018 downtown design plan and a successful pilot project on 23rd Street. That project introduced a new transit stop, upgraded sidewalks, landscaping, and a shaded pedestrian walkway, serving as a model for the larger vision we are now advancing.
To meet federal grant requirements, the City must complete environmental clearance, a cultural resources study, and detailed project documentation in coordination with our design team. This preliminary phase, funded by downtown parking revenue, is expected to take most of 2026. In January, the Galveston City Council approved a professional services agreement with Clark Condon, a landscape architecture design firm, to complete this work.
This investment is about strengthening our historic downtown, supporting local businesses, and creating a safer, more walkable Galveston for residents and visitors alike. We look forward to keeping residents informed as this project moves ahead.
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