Historic Nauset Beach

Like E-ZPass for beaches: How license plate scanners are replacing beach stickers on Cape

Nauset Beach – one of the most iconic beaches along the Eastern United States. Situated on Cape Cod, a peninsula that extends 65 miles into the Atlantic ocean, it is a desirable location in which people from all over the world come to vacation and relax with family. Part of the National Seashore, it is managed by the Town of Orleans in conjunction with the Federal Government. From April to Labor Day every year, people come from all over the world to stretch out and enjoy the sprawling beaches and the cool Atlantic. With hundreds of parking spaces being consumed by the Ocean’s erosion, the Town of Orleans was forced try to recoup the lost revenue from the beach parking. Along came the “Beat Back,” a plan to build another parking lot and other needed infrastructure in spite of the ocean’s advance.

For the last 50 years or so, all beach traffic would head down Beach road and beachgoers would pay the attendant or display their vehicle sticker for visual verification. Unfortunately, on a busy beach morning there could be hundreds of cars in line while individuals are performing the transactions. Often, cars would sit in line for an hour just to get through the gates! The “Beat Back” was an opportunity not only to reclaim the revenue lost from Mother’s Nature’s destruction of hundreds of parking spaces, but also to streamline entry to the beach parking lot.

Bonsai Logic was the first company consulted when the Town of Orleans decided is was time start the retreat project. The largest concern was getting traffic through quickly. The backup was not only a customer service issue but also a safety issue for emergency personnel. Bonsai Logic recommended we increase from one lane to four lanes, two of which with TownHall247 parking kiosks to take daily payments, and two of them for license plate recognition for permit holders. This would allow anyone holding a seasonal permit to go through either of the right two lanes, and those paying for daily parking can easily use one of the two TownHall247 kiosks with cards and NFC payments such as Apple Pay and Google pay.

Going live in the Spring of 2023, all construction is finished and the Town of Orleans and Bonsai Logic is ready for the beach-going masses with the upcoming warm weather!