Cape Charles Revisits Mason Avenue Parking

CAPE CHARLES, Va. — Cape Charles Town Council met Thursday to review parking scenarios for Mason and Bay avenues, including a proposal that could dramatically increase golf cart parking in the downtown business district while allowing traditional pull-in angle parking on Mason Avenue.

The discussion comes as the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) prepares to resurface Mason Avenue in spring 2027, giving the Town an opportunity to reconsider a parking arrangement that has frustrated some drivers for years.

Currently, the north side of Mason Avenue features back-in angle parking, a configuration originally approved by VDOT to increase the number of available parking spaces. Although traffic engineering studies indicate that back-in angle parking is safer than traditional pull-in parking, the change generated numerous complaints from motorists unfamiliar with the maneuver.

Between 2020 and 2022, the Town attempted to obtain a VDOT design waiver that would allow pull-in angle parking on the north side while preserving parallel parking on the south side.

The challenge was Mason Avenue’s relatively narrow width. To accommodate both parking configurations, the Town proposed reducing the depth of angled parking spaces from VDOT’s standard 21 feet to 17 feet.

VDOT indicated it would approve the arrangement only if the angled spaces were restricted to regular passenger cars, excluding SUVs, vans and trucks. Town officials considered that restriction unacceptable, and the existing back-in parking remained.

A New Approach: More Golf Cart Parking

With golf cart usage increasing significantly in Cape Charles over the past several years, Town officials are now considering a different approach that could address both automobile and golf cart parking needs.

Under the new concept, existing parallel parking spaces along the south side of Mason Avenue, between Peach Street and Harbor Avenue, would be converted into dedicated golf cart spaces.

Because golf carts require considerably less parking space than automobiles, the conversion could effectively double the number of parking spaces along that side of the street.

The approximately 48 existing parallel parking spaces could accommodate an estimated 96 golf cart spaces.

More importantly, the narrower golf cart parking area could free enough roadway width to allow standard pull-in angle parking on the north side of Mason Avenue.

The proposed configuration would divide the street’s approximately 48-foot width into three sections:

• 21 feet for standard pull-in angle parking on the north side.
• 22 feet for two vehicle travel lanes.
• 5 feet for golf cart parking on the south side.

The arrangement would satisfy the overall available street width without requiring the reduced-depth automobile parking spaces that previously prevented VDOT approval.

It could also significantly increase designated golf cart parking in the heart of downtown, potentially reducing the need to establish additional golf cart spaces elsewhere in the central business district.

VDOT Willing to Consider Proposal

According to information presented to Council, VDOT has indicated a willingness to consider the revised parking configuration.

However, the concept remains preliminary, and several technical and financial questions must be resolved before any changes could be approved.

The Town would need to verify roadway dimensions, develop and submit a detailed pavement striping plan, and determine who would be responsible for the cost of re-striping Mason Avenue.

VDOT’s planned resurfacing project in spring 2027 provides a potential opportunity to coordinate any approved parking changes with the roadway improvements.

Balancing Convenience and Safety

The renewed discussion highlights a longstanding challenge for Cape Charles: accommodating growing numbers of vehicles and golf carts within the limited street space of its historic downtown.

Back-in angle parking was originally adopted in part because of its documented safety advantages. The configuration allows drivers to leave parking spaces facing forward, improving visibility of approaching traffic, pedestrians and cyclists.

However, many motorists prefer the familiarity and convenience of pulling directly into an angled parking space, particularly in a downtown area that attracts seasonal visitors.

The proposed conversion of south-side parking to golf cart spaces represents a possible compromise, but it would also eliminate approximately 48 conventional automobile parking spaces along that stretch of Mason Avenue.

Whether the additional golf cart capacity and more familiar pull-in parking arrangement would outweigh the loss of those spaces remains an important consideration.

For now, the proposal is only under consideration. Any changes to Mason Avenue’s parking configuration would require further coordination with VDOT and approval of an acceptable design.

With resurfacing scheduled for next spring, Town officials have a limited window to determine whether the new approach can move forward.

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Wayne Creed

Administrator

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