Miami Beach approves program to cut down towing of residents' vehicles

• Miami Beach has adopted a new initiative to cut down on the number of residents having their vehicles towed.
• Year-to-date, more than 1,181 resident vehicles have been towed in Miami Beach, according to a release by the city.
• Under the new program, towing a resident's vehicle will be a last resort. Those with permitted vehicles will receive up to three citations and text message warnings for most violations.

Miami Beach has adopted a new initiative to cut down on the number of residents having their vehicles towed.

Year-to-date, more than 1,181 resident vehicles have been towed in Miami Beach, according to a release by the city. Under the "End Resident Tows" program, unanimously approved by the Miami Beach City Commission on May 20, "over 62% of those resident tows likely could have been avoided."

“One of the most common frustrations we all hear from our residents is that people come home from work late at night, circle the block trying to find parking and finally find a space — only to wake up the next morning and their vehicle has been towed for a non-safety violation — something innocent,” Commissioner Alex Fernandez said in the release.

Now, towing a resident's vehicle will be a last resort. Those with permitted vehicles will receive up to three citations and text message warnings for most violations. A fourth violation will result in a tow.

Anyone who doesn't move an illegally parked vehicle 24 hours after receiving a citation and a warning text could also be towed.

"Immediate towing authority" will be retained in the case of serious public safety hazards, such as "violations involving fire hydrants, disabled spaces, blocked sidewalks, obstructed driveways, blocked bike lanes, emergency access areas and freight loading zones." Still, according to the release, those subject to immediate towing will still get a text allowing them "an opportunity to correct the violation."

How to register for the "End Resident Tows" program

To register, residents can visit register.miamibeachparking.com or go in person to the Miami Beach Customer Service Center, located on the first floor at 1755 Meridian Ave., with a photo ID, vehicle registration and proof of Miami Beach residence, like a utility bill.

Those who previously registered for residential parking permits or residential parking discounts are automatically enrolled for text warnings, though residents will remain responsible for updating information about their phone numbers and vehicles with the city.

Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.