As of today, October 2, 2026, there's a new way to get to Fisher Family Pier on a weekend. The City of Pompano Beach is starting a free, on-demand Fishing Village Shuttle on the Pompano Circuit. It runs Friday through Sunday and on holidays, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The City's September 16 announcement says why. The shuttle is meant to cut parking demand near the beach as the W Hotel parking lot closes.
The shuttle matters more than a typical service expansion because the city's other plan for beach parking is stuck. The second beach garage hasn't been built. A contract to build it failed on a tied commission vote in December 2025. For now, the shuttle is how the city plans to get people to the pier, and the fall event calendar will be its first real test.
The lot that's going away
The surface lot at 20 N. Ocean Blvd. used to be leased to the City for beach parking. Now the site is set to become the W Pompano Beach Hotel & Residences. The schedule is still a set of targets. In March 2026, the Sun Sentinel estimated an October 2026 groundbreaking. The developer's project page has said the third quarter of 2026, with completion expected in 2028. The Real Deal reported a 2029 completion in June. Public reports haven't confirmed a groundbreaking yet. Either way, the lot east of A1A is closing for the project.
Earlier plans included 145 paid public parking spaces inside the W project, according to TAPinto Pompano Beach's November 2025 reporting. If those spaces happen, they'll come with a building that's years from finished.
Why the garage didn't come first
Another site was supposed to make up for the lost parking. The Oceanside Parking Garage was planned as a 715-space structure on the city-owned surface lot behind Fire Station 11, between A1A and Riverside Drive. It was designed with a coral-inspired wrap by local artist Dennis Friel, who also worked on the city's Atlantic Boulevard and Fifth Avenue bridges. If the contract had been approved, design and permitting would have started in summer 2026, with completion targeted for fall 2027.
The contract wasn't approved. On December 9, 2025, commissioners split 3–3 on a $32.8 million design-build award to Whiting-Turner, the top-ranked bidder, so the resolution failed. During public comment, executives from FinFrock, a losing bidder, told commissioners the city could have saved $8 million to $14 million. City staff responded that Whiting-Turner's bid was actually the least costly when the proposals were compared on equal terms. Vice Mayor Alison Fournier was one of the three no votes. She explained her vote this way:
"We all know we need a parking garage. But I'm guessing that there are some of us who are not comfortable with what we've just learned today."
Dr. Tammy Good, the city's capital improvements plan manager, also gave some context on price. She told commissioners the existing Pier Parking Garage cost $20 million about a decade ago. The City's CRA page for that garage gives a different figure, describing it as a $24 million project funded through a bond. In April 2026, the East CRA Advisory Committee was told the solicitation hadn't been canceled. Without an approved contract, the old fall 2027 date doesn't mean anything. The Oceanside Lot at 100 N. Riverside Drive is still open, and the City's parking FAQ still lists monthly permits and overnight parking there.
So one lot is closing, the garage meant to replace it is on hold, and the city's answer in the meantime is three vehicles and an app.
How the shuttle works
The Pompano Circuit fleet for the expanded service has three vehicles, seating five, six and 15 passengers. Wheelchair-accessible service is available, and the vehicles carry beach chairs, bags and coolers. You'll ride in a different way depending on where you start:
- Inside the new service area, which is shaded green on the City's map, you can request a ride from your home or a business straight to the beach and back.
- Outside it, you can park free at City Hall, 100 W. Atlantic Boulevard, or at the Old Town lot at NE 2nd Street and NE 2nd Avenue, then request a direct ride to the pier.
- Inside the existing blue Circuit zone, service continues as before. You request rides through the Ride Circuit app.
Shuttle trips are direct rides between the pickup point and Fisher Family Pier. If you want a weekend afternoon at Lucky Fish Beach Bar & Grill at 222 N. Pompano Beach Blvd. or ice cream at Kilwins at 265 N. Pompano Beach Blvd., the drive now ends at City Hall or Old Town instead of a meter on A1A. Service stops at 10 p.m., so plan a late dinner around that last ride.
If you still drive
The Pier Parking Garage at 3460 NE 3rd St. is still the main option. Self-parking is on Levels 2 through 4, and Level 1 is reserved for valet. The City's figures for its size disagree. The visitor page says 655 spaces, and the CRA project page says 609, so it has more than 600 either way. Hourly rates depend on the zone, and the garage isn't the most expensive option near the pier:
| Zone | Examples | Weekday | Weekend | Holiday/Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Hillsboro Inlet, Alsdorf Park, Oceanside Lot, spots west of A1A | $1.80 | $2.15 | $2.50 |
| Zone 2 | Pier Parking Garage, 16th Street North Ocean Park | $1.80 | $2.50 | $3.25 |
| Zone 3 | Beach Lot, Briny Avenue, Pompano Beach Boulevard | $2.50 | $3.25 | $4.00 |
The street spots closest to the Fishing Village cost the most. On a weekend, the garage costs 75 cents an hour less than Pompano Beach Boulevard. The City's rate pages aren't dated, and its parking map file is dated February 2026, so check the posted rate or the app before you pay. Valet is only for Oceanic and Beach House guests. It costs $10 Monday through Thursday and $15 Friday through Sunday.
The fall dates that will test it
Fall brings several evening events to the pier, and most of them fall on shuttle days:
- Friday, Oct. 9: Music Under the Stars brings the Speaker Box Band to the Great Lawn at Atlantic Boulevard and Pompano Beach Boulevard.
- Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m.: Pumpkins & Pilates at Pier 6 Rooftop, 200 N. Ocean Boulevard.
- Saturday, Oct. 31, 7 p.m.: Nightmare on Pier 6, a 21-and-over Halloween party with DJ Vince1 and a costume contest.
- Saturday, Nov. 7: the Drone Show Extravaganza, covered in detail below.
- Friday, Nov. 13: Laura Goodstone at Music Under the Stars.
- Friday, Dec. 18: Happy Daze closes the Music Under the Stars dates for the year.
The Halloween party starts at 7 p.m. and the shuttle stops at 10, so a late night on Pier 6 may end with a rideshare or a walk back to the garage.
November 7, step by step
The drone show will draw the biggest crowd of the season, and it runs on its own transportation plan. Firefly Drone Shows will fly 500 drones over the ocean just south of the pier for Veterans Day Weekend. Fishing Village businesses and Firefly are paying for the show, and it's free to attend. The City's event page sets out the day:
- 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6: Fisher Family Pier closes and stays closed until 7 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 8.
- 1 p.m. Saturday: Free event shuttles start running from Pompano Community Park, near the Pompano Beach Aquatic Center at 820 NE 18th Avenue. They drop riders at the Beach Branch Library, 3250 NE 2nd Street.
- 2 p.m.: Riverside Drive closes from NE 14th Street to 2nd Street until 10 p.m. Residents need proof of residency to get through.
- 5:30 p.m.: A DJ starts the evening, and Junior's Entertainment Group plays from 6 to 7.
- 6 p.m.: The last shuttle leaves the park for the beach. North Pompano Beach Boulevard and eastbound Atlantic Boulevard at Harbor Drive can close as early as this.
- 7 p.m.: The drone show runs for 15 minutes. After that, there's more live music and then a DJ until 9.
- 10 p.m.: The last return shuttle leaves the beach for the park.
That night, the Pier Parking Garage charges a flat $20, cash only. Other lots and metered street spots charge the holiday rate of $4 an hour, and rideshares pick up and drop off at the Beach Branch Library. Watch from the beach south of the pier, because the north side is closed for drone staging. Blankets, lawn chairs and coolers are allowed. Glass, alcohol, pets, personal fireworks and personal drones aren't. Boats are welcome if they stay outside the swim buoys and the drone safety zone. For a view from above, Pier 6 Rooftop is holding a ticketed viewing party. The rooftop opens at 5 p.m.
At Engel & Völkers Fort Lauderdale, we're following the W site and the Oceanside garage because both will shape the Pompano Beach shoreline for years. If you'd like to talk through what these projects mean for the blocks around the pier, contact us.
