City of St. Augustine officials say the 2025-26 Nights of Lights season was a success, crediting a shorter event and expanded transit, safety, and sanitation services for improvements.
The findings come from a report to be presented to the St. Augustine City Commission next week.
“The combination of limiting the event duration and significantly increasing the investment in event management resources led to a very successful 2025-26 Nights of Lights season,” City Manager David Birchim wrote in an introduction to the study.
The decision to shorten the popular event was highly contested, with a vocal cohort of residents backing the move and merchants opposed.
Some business owners and employees have since reported a slow January and a steep drop in customers after Nights of Lights ended.
Transportation improvements were a centerpiece of the new report, with costs rising form $128,000 to $516,00 during this past Nights of Lights.
Park-and-ride shuttles ran daily at multiple lots, carrying 69,028 total passengers—including 34,930 during peak periods—though wait times sometimes reached up to an hour at some spots.
The city also expanded its STAR Circulator bus line to Anastasia Island and St. Augustine Beach, operating from 5 p.m. to midnight. Downtown STAR ridership totaled 6,841, while the Anastasia Island route carried 16,391, with added buses improving wait times.
Downtown parking remained contentious. The city raised the historic parking garage rate to $40 during shuttle hours and had law enforcement stationed at key intersections and garage exits.
Closures increased from 77 to 79, while total vehicle entries dropped from 135,359 to 129,023. Customers voiced frustration with the higher rate, while upped police presence helped manage delays.
To limit neighborhood spillover, temporary residential permit parking was piloted near downtown. The city issued 920 permits, and residents reported more available spots and less congestion. The initiative could be expanded moving forward, the study said.
The Fire Department handled 770 calls, with normal response times, the report stated.
Police responded to 7,112 calls for service, 194 arrests, and 221 crashes, including one fatal vehicle-versus-pedestrian incident.
The report found that sanitation and restroom access were improved with third-party custodial services and and more facilities, growing from 32 restrooms at four locations to up to 75 during peak times.
The restroom program cost $96,712.
Code enforcement identified 97 unregistered short-term rentals, many of which came into compliance following outreach efforts.
