March 3,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Council Majority starting to cater to the Chamber of Commerce by changing the hour from 9 p.m. to 8 p.m.and free parking on Saturday night. That is an estimated loss in revenue $ 50,000. $50,000 a year for 25 years is 1.25 Million.The council majority used the excused it was for the church goers on Saturday. The Village Manager called lowering the meter times and free Saturday night parking . ” A mere bag of shells”.
So our main question is if the garage is in fact a boost for local merchants in the Central Business District , how does raising meter rates from .75 to $1.00 and adding free parking at night when most are closed help any merchants in Ridgewood ???
James to be fair the VM didn’t say ” A mere bag of shells”. It was me that sent that in. Just want poster on this blog this blog that many on this blog post correction unlike the Village Council and the mouthpieces.
The garage is being built for the benefit of businesses. The rates will be adjusted at the request of businesses.
Taxpayers will pay for the shortfall.
“I wouldn’t mind politicians lying to me, stealing from me, or senselessly making life difficult if they didn’t try to claim they were looking out for my best interest. How refreshing it’d be to see a politician honest enough to admit he’s dishonest.”
Complete nonsense…this is EXACTLY why I don’t shop or eat in Ridgewood. With the dozens and dozens of other options out there why would I come to Ridgewood to feed a meter??? You want me to come to your town, spend my money in the local establishments and then drop a dime on feeding the bloated municipal budget so you can grease your union stoolies? Yea right. I have and will continue to take my business elsewhere. Sounds like your all taking your lead from the Ridgewood Taxpayer above…completely oblivious to being screwed and completly OK with it. Stupid is what stupid does.
Are we quoting W. C. Fields?
9.15 is right. Smiles while picking of your pockets while also justifying
theft of taxpayers money by poor management is as arrogant as it gets. We are getting clipped. No more no less. Bring it out into the light so we can see the level of arrogance . All this crap for restaurants. Who cares about their parking issues in the north commercial district. What value is that to me..lets levy a tax increase on them. Join the fleecing party merchants. Half will be gone in 3 years what a joke
I go to Glen Rock to eat, get a haircut, etc., I park, I pay nothing. I go to Midland Park to the hardware store or the shoe repair shop or others or to eat, I park, I pay nothing. I go to Wyckoff to shop or eat or go to the bakery, I park, I pay nothing. I go to Allendale to shop or eat, I park, I pay nothing. I go to Hawthorne for whatever (including, most often, the movie theater, but also restaurants and shops), I park, I pay nothing, and I don’t worry that the meter will expire before the movie is over, because there isn’t one. I go to Waldwick to the hardware store or to shop or eat, I park, I pay nothing. I go to Ramsey to shop or eat or go to the movies (two different ones), I park, I pay nothing, ditto re: worrying about meter expiring because there isn’t one. That’s not to mention free parking at Route 17 stores, strip malls, and bigger malls, and we won’t even mention the internet (can’t eat lunch or get a haircut there).
What is wrong with this picture? Ridgewood, my own town, is not so special that it’s worth paying so much to park and (more important) looking at my watch and worrying about risking a ticket, which we’ve been assured will soon be increased in price and monitored intensely.
Just no. Sorry. I am frankly embarrassed by this entire thing. We don’t need a garage and we are already paying too much to park. Entire project was a waste of time and resources and will only get worse. Even more distressing is that it’s not going to work. Could end up ripping the whole thing out just as the one-lane underpass road/suicide bike lane will eventually be replaced by the two lanes we had before.
Correction: one of the movie theaters in Ramsey was torn down. But I used to go there. The one on Main St. is still going strong. Large free parking lot right across the street with a pedestrian crosswalk between.
Very well said, 2:44. Hey Rurik, any comment ?