Golf cart clusters, reverse-angle spaces and crosswalks among ideas under review; Mason Avenue to stay as is for now
CAPE CHARLES, Va. — Cape Charles Town Council is moving toward painting lines on Bay Avenue, where years of unmarked, first-come parking along the beachfront have frustrated residents and visitors alike, particularly during the crowded summer season.
Bay Avenue currently has no striping at all to mark parking spaces or traffic patterns. Drivers and golf cart owners park wherever they find room, a situation that has drawn complaints for a number of years.
The town’s Beachfront Master Plan, adopted in May 2026, already offers a starting point. It recommends parallel parking along the east side of Bay Avenue and 90-degree pull-in parking on the west side, with designated areas set aside for golf carts.
The issue resurfaced at Council’s Oct. 28 work session during a discussion of parking on Mason Avenue. Because the town would be responsible for striping any new parking pattern on Mason Avenue, Council members suggested that Bay Avenue be addressed at the same time.
Council asked Planning and Zoning Technician Damion Geist to draft parking mock-ups for Bay Avenue based on the master plan’s recommendations. Those drawings will be reviewed at Council’s next work session. The mock-ups were not available at the time of publication.
Mason Avenue stays as is — for now
The town has since decided to leave parking on Mason Avenue unchanged for the time being. The decision followed complaints from the business community that dedicated golf cart parking could take up too much space, especially in the off-season when fewer carts are on the road.
Options on the table for Bay Avenue
As discussions continue, the concepts being considered for Bay Avenue include:
- Golf cart cluster parking near each street entrance onto Bay Avenue
- Reverse-angle parking for most cars and trucks
- Crosswalk striping near each street entrance, a possible addition to improve pedestrian safety
The reverse-angle approach under discussion differs from the master plan’s original call for 90-degree pull-in spaces on the west side. Any final layout will depend on Council’s review of the mock-ups.
Residents interested in the future of beachfront parking can attend the session or contact Cape Charles Town Hall for more information.
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