parking ban – Monterey County’s board of supervisors voted to draft a one-year ordinance that would ban parking near Bixby Bridge after months of congestion and safety concerns tied to Highway 1’s reopening. The proposal would require additional reviews and permits, includi
Drivers stopped for a photo at Bixby Bridge often pull off where they can. Soon, that pull-off could shrink—or disappear—if Monterey County follows through on a plan to restrict parking around one of Highway 1’s most famous overlooks.
This week, the Monterey County board of supervisors voted to move forward with an approach aimed at curbing congestion and safety problems near Bixby Bridge. The concern comes as traffic has surged following the long-awaited reopening of an uninterrupted coastal drive along California’s coast.
The parking “moratorium” is not in effect yet. It still has to go through several more reviews before any restrictions could be implemented. Even with the board’s vote. officials said it will likely take several weeks. if not months. before new parking rules take effect. The ordinance would also return to the board at least two more times, creating additional opportunities for public comment.
Under the motion that passed. county staff would draft an ordinance that would ban parking in the “immediate vicinity” of Bixby Bridge for one year. The county would also pursue the permits required for such a decision—requests that would include the California Coastal Commission and the Department of Transportation.
The county has not finalized how enforcement would work if the ban moves forward, nor has it settled what the moratorium would cost.
Bixby Bridge has long been a tourist draw, with its popularity spiking during peak seasons. In 2019. for example. the bridge became even more widely recognized after it appeared as a stop in the show “Big Little Lies.” Now. officials say the combination of renewed access along Highway 1 and rising visitor numbers is overwhelming a stretch of road that was never meant to handle constant parking surges.
In the latest stretch of reopening, the area between Carmel and Cambria had been truncated after three years of closures that shuttered different sections of Highway 1. With the uninterrupted drive back, the weekend crowd is swelling.
As of this month. restaurants and retail locations in Big Sur have seen about a 40% surge in weekend crowds compared with 2025 levels. and hotel revenues are up 200% from last year during the spring season. according to new data from Caltrans. County officials say the area around Bixby Bridge is among the most affected. with increasing incidents of illegal roadside parking—sometimes even in active lanes.
That’s the crux of the dispute Monterey County is trying to manage: tourism is surging. and the economic rebound is real. but officials say the way people are arriving is creating immediate risks. County officials said backups and diversions have affected residents, commuters, and even emergency vehicles. They also said the traffic strain has created pedestrian safety concerns.
The next steps are procedural but consequential. Before any parking restriction could take hold. the ordinance would need additional board reviews and the necessary approvals. including from the California Coastal Commission and the Department of Transportation. In the meantime. enforcement questions—and the financial burden of carrying out a ban—remain open. even as the county moves toward a draft that would fundamentally change how visitors can stop near Bixby Bridge.
Monterey County Big Sur Bixby Bridge Highway 1 parking restrictions California Coastal Commission Caltrans traffic congestion public safety board of supervisors