Tag: commuters

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Reader says changes in parking are to the detriment of Commuters

Ridgewood Trainstation_theridgewoodblog

Reader responds to , ” overpriced Commuter parking is a Ridgewood quality of life Issue ” https://theridgewoodblog.net/reader-says-overpriced-commuter-parking-is-a-ridgewood-quality-of-life-issue/

“Amazing that this blog actually is from a year . . . and another $300 hike in the yearly fee ago . . . and nothing has changed. Actually, there HAVE been changes, but they have all been to the detriment of commuters. The new passes are $1300 per year. Want a pass for the Hudson Street lot? That will get you a parking spot until the construction begins, and the pleasure of depending on Uber to get to the station to catch your morning ride to work after construction starts. Oh, and forget about parking anywhere on the weekend, because, of course, who works on Saturday or Sunday?

Want a pass for other lots? Well, don’t count on parking in the train station unless you have a compact car. The planned renovations add spots, but they are only for compact vehicles. Because, after all, almost everyone in Ridgewood drives a compact. Unable to find a spot at the station, maybe because you aren’t there before 6:30 in the morning? Enjoy a healthy hike from across town. Hopefully, the snow and rain won’t be a problem this winter.

This is just PATHETIC. This is a real problem for anyone trying to sell their home – NO ONE in their right mind would consider moving here who works in NYC. I know we certainly would not have moved here, even without knowing the truth about the fraud underlying the reputation enjoyed by Ridgewood’s school system. The only thing worse than the stress of uncertainty about finding a parking spot is the sanctimonious disingenuousness of residents and council members who insist that protecting the access of “diners and shoppers” to parking is key to Ridgewood’s welfare.”

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Railroad Crossing Safety

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Borough of Glen Rock and Glen Rock Police Department would like to remind Residents and Visitors to safely cross Railroad Tracks, by following the recommendations below from NJ Transit:
•Cross Tracks Only at Designated Locations!
•Never go around crossing gates that are down, on foot or in a car!
•Stay alert, don’t rush.
•Trespassing: It’s Not Worth the Risk!
•Trains Can’t Stop Quickly!
•Trains Can’t Swerve!
•Stay Alert Near Tracks!
•Stay Away from Overhead Electrical Wires!
•Never Throw Items at Trains or onto Tracks!
•Watch the Gap between the train & the platforms

Residents with concerns regarding railroad crossing safety can contact NJ TRANSIT Police Department at (973) 378-6565 or, Tip line at 1-888-TIPS-NJT or, by text message to NJTPD (65873).

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Rockland/Coach bus service blasted at Woodcliff Lake Meeting

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog 

Woodcliff Lake NJ, Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi  relays her thoughts on improving Rockland/Coach bus service. I have used the service in the past and while the drivers are professional the company demonstrates a complete lack of interest in servicing North Jersey commuters and as a long time commuter I would rate the service as TERRIBLE at best . It is often incomprehensible how poor the service actually is. Its odd because Coach that runs the service from the Ridgewood Park and Ride does a far better job than Rockland and Rockland is  just a division of the same company COACH USA.

Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi :

Last night, I, Carlos A. Rendo Mayor-Woodcliff Lake, NJ, Councilwoman Jacquie Gadaleta, Catherine Best from Congressman Gottheimer’s office, Borough Administrator Tom Padilla, Woodcliff Lake resident commuters and representatives from Rockland/Coach USA met to discuss ways to improve bus service for our residents. Over the past several months we have received numerous complaints regarding the reliability of bus service from our area into the Port Authority as well as the failure of Rockland/Coach USA to properly communicate with commuters regarding interruptions in service.

During last evening’s meeting, Rockland’s new general manager and Executive Vice President acknowledged these issues and discussed immediate action plans to remedy the service and communication problems. 30 new longer buses have been acquired by the Company, increasing the number of seats on these buses to 59 passengers from the previous 47. This should help with the issues of no seats for last pick up areas such as Woodcliff Lake. 5 “gap” buses are currently in training to fill in if a bus becomes disabled or a driver doesn’t show up to work. In January the Company is planning to start a new bus originating in Woodcliff Lake during the height of the rush hour to ensure adequate seating for its customers.

With respect to lack of communication, Rockland is exploring new apps which could provide real time alerts to commuters in the event of a delay or change in bus schedule. Dispatchers are being trained specifically to address customer service issues and a full time manager is now on site at the Westwood bus depot to oversee operations.

While we all acknowledge these problems will not be fixed overnight, the steps being taken by the Company appear to be a step in a positive direction. We have agreed to meet as a group again at the end of January beginning of February to evaluate the changes made between now and then. Should you encounter any commuter difficulties over the next 6 weeks while on Rockland buses please reach out and let us know so that we may bring it to the Company’s attention.

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New Jersey State Police remind you to leave a little extra time and a little extra space

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog 

Ridgewood NJ, the New Jersey State Police remind you to leave a little extra time and a little extra space. 

Although winter is still a little over a week away, cold temperatures and winter weather are upon us nevertheless. Parts of North Jersey are expected to get some light snow tomorrow morning and into the afternoon, which could create hazardous road conditions.

Now, meteorologists aren’t predicting a blizzard, but light snow can still create dangerous driving conditions. The best thing you can do to help us and crews tasked with treating and clearing the roads is to avoid driving during inclement weather if you can. Less traffic creates a safer environment for the men and women working on the roadways during inclement weather.

But we do know that many of you will have no choice but to drive to work. Fortunately, there are few things you can do to keep yourself and others safe when driving on snow-covered roads. First, you can #SlowYourRoll! Driving at speeds too fast for the road conditions is often a contributing factor in snow-related crashes and spinouts. These types of crashes not only put our Troopers in danger, they also put you, your occupants and other emergency personnel (like tow-truck drivers and first responders) in danger as well. Other cars spinning out of control are deadly to pedestrians at a scene.

The next best thing you can do is to leave extra room between you and the vehicle in front of you should you have to brake unexpectedly. Even anti-lock brakes are not enough to stop a slowing or stopping car sliding on slick, snowy roads. Oh, and plan to leave for work a little earlier. Because you’ll be rolling slower, right?

Troopers will be on patrol to assist you if you need us. Hopefully, you won’t require our services. Snow is expected to start in the morning. Snow totals will vary depending on where you live with some areas getting a wintry mix. For more in-depth updates, go to the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management Facebook page.

Be safe, people!

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NJ TRANSIT TO HOST PUBLIC HEARINGS ON FUNDING FOR LOCAL SENIOR/DISABLED TRANSPORTATION

ridgewood Train station

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  NJ TRANSIT will hold a series of public hearings to gather information and feedback on the Senior Citizen and Disabled Residents Transportation Assistance Program (SCDRTAP). SCDRTAP funds capital, operating, and/or administrative expenses for locally coordinated paratransit services for senior citizens and people with disabilities.

The public is invited to the December hearings below at which time they will have a full opportunity to express their views regarding NJ TRANSIT’S 2019 SCDRTAP funding.

Three hearings will take place in different geographic regions of the state. The locations are Freehold, Westampton and Newark.  Each hearing will have an afternoon and evening session. In order to ensure that all members of the public are given an opportunity to be heard, comments will be limited to five minutes.

SENIOR CITIZEN & DISABLED RESIDENTS TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM HEARINGS

Central                       PLACE:          Monmouth Agricultural Building

Region                                                Conference Room, #1

                                                            4000 Kozloski Road

                                                            Freehold, NJ 07728

DATE:            Wednesday, December 12, 2018

                                    TIME:              2:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m.                  

Southern                    PLACE:          Burlington County Human Services Facility

Region                                                Lecture Hall A

                                                            795 Woodlane Road

                                                            Westampton, NJ 08060

DATE:            Monday, December 17, 2018

                                    TIME:              2:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m.

Northern                    PLACE:          NJ TRANSIT Headquarters

Region                                                Conference Room 10 A

                                                            Two Penn Plaza East

                                                            Newark, NJ 07105-2246

                                    DATE:             Wednesday, December 19, 2018

                                    TIME:              2:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m.

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Transit Police Security Tower at Ridgewood Train Station

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photo courtesy of RH

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, NJ Transit police have erected a scissor tower at the Ridgewood Train Station parking lot . Some commuters  have suggested a set up for political press conference or perhaps a routine holiday security check ?

 

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Ridgewood Looking to restore and Preserve Iconic Bus station

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file photo by Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood ‘s Historic Preservation Commission has “identified the Ridgewood bus station building as having historic significance to the village. The bus station designed by architect J. Robert Gilchrist, is of the 1950s mid-century modern school of design .

Gilchrist, who died in 2008, was a prominent Bergen County architect, whose projects include Continental Plaza in Hackensack and International Crossroads in Mahwah.

Continue reading Ridgewood Looking to restore and Preserve Iconic Bus station

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Reader says , “If not for the jobs in NYC the majority of NJ residents would be on the unemployment Line”

lasttraintoclarksville_theridgewoodblog

If not for the jobs in NYC the majority of NJ residents would be on the unemployment Line.
Corporate employers have left the state, knowing full well competent employees are willing to move along with them.
The only reason others have not left is due to state corporate welfare tax deals to keep them here.
Businesses will NEVER move here.
As the Internet connects us together for telecommuting, there will be no need to live close to NYC and work.
The only people left here will be the public employees whose unions have killed the golden goose…the same people who leave the state after retiring hand have their NJ taxpayer paid over generous Cadillac health care benefits while collecting the check in North Carolina.
The way to solve the state budget problem is to tax any public pension checks that get sent out of state

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HUDSON STREET PARKING GARAGE SCHEDULED TO START JUNE 2019

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Village Council approved the funding and the proposal from Epic Management, Inc., to move forward with the Hudson Street parking garage. This will provide additional parking in the Central Business District for shoppers, diners, commuters, and employees.

Continue reading HUDSON STREET PARKING GARAGE SCHEDULED TO START JUNE 2019

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Assemblyman Rooney Bills Move to Stem Excessive E-ZPass fees

ezpass

August 11,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Wyckoff NJ, Assemblyman Kevin J. Rooney moves to stem excessive fees on E-ZPass users.

Rooney commented on Facebook , “Recently, the news has highlighted the excessive and outrageous administrative fees the Turnpike Authority is charging drivers for missing an E-ZPass toll. If the system malfunctions, then drivers shouldn’t be penalized. One of the primary reasons E-ZPass was created was to offer discounted rates. Charging these fees completely contradicts this purpose.

Last year I introduced three pieces of legislation – A1002, AR34, and AR35 – to address a different “discount deception” that New Jersey E-ZPass users suffer. If you use your toll transponder out of state, you’ll often be charged the cash rate instead of the discounted E-ZPass rate. My legislation moves to fix that. Drivers need to be treated fairly no matter what the circumstances. New Jersey is already the most expensive state in the country to live in; we cannot become the most expensive state to drive in too.”

In an email Rooney went on, “If you use your NJ-issued toll transponder out of state, you’ll may be charged the cash rate instead of the discounted E-ZPass rate. Especially in New York. For example, NJ drivers using the Queens-Midtown Tunnel are charged $8.50 instead of the discounted rate of $5.76. My legislation moves to fix that.

Commuters and New Jersey drivers do not deserve the outrageous fees being charged against them. Drivers need to be treated fairly no matter what the circumstances. New Jersey is already the most expensive state in the country to live in; we cannot become the most expensive state to drive in too.”

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Some Help for Bergen County’s Terrible Roads ,Nearly $4.5M Grant for Local Road Work

roadwork

March 26, 2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Lawmakers representing New Jersey’s 40th legislative district announced nearly $4.5 million to fund 15 transportation projects in each of the towns they represent.

$4.5 million in TTF funding will support 15 road and bridge projects (SenateNJ.com)“Our local municipalities will receive over $4 million from the TTF to improve critical road and bridge projects,” said Sen. Kristin Corrado (R-40). “Funding for safe and reliable transportation will be an investment in our economy.”

Bergen County will receive more than $1.3 million to fund seven projects, including improvements to the West Allendale Avenue Streetscape in downtown Allendale Borough and roads near schools and parks in Franklin Lakes and Ho-Ho-Kus.

Passaic County will receive $2,185,000 for five projects, including Webster Drive in Wayne Township.

Two projects in Morris County will be funded with more than $547,000, including improvements to Hillview Road in Pequannock Township, a commercial area. A $402,000 grant was awarded to Essex County for Cedar Grove Township.

“This is welcome news for our region,” said Rooney (R-Bergen). “Fixing roads in residential neighborhoods makes them safer for commuters and families while protecting the value of homes in the area. Road improvements also enhance safety for children who walk to school and enjoy our parks.”

“Commuters, businesses, and families will all reap the benefits of this funding,” said DePhillips (R-Bergen). “Well paved and maintained streets are vital to our local economy. This investment in our infrastructure will pay dividends for years to come.”

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Reader asks let’s all assume they build this thing, how does that change anything in terms of the parking landscape in this town?

Hudson garage

Wait, so the argument now is… because a previous council approved the building of condos, in order to “save” the Village we need to appease the developers and build a garage for them given that they will obviously not have the needed parking spaces for their new tenants….and if we don’t build this thing, this town will become a glorified Rt 17 strip filled with gyms, banks and more condos? Come on people…..let’s all assume they build this thing, how does that change anything in terms of the parking landscape in this town? Yes, commuters will use it, yes shoppers will use it, but lets be realistic, probably only those looking to shop on Broad St or very close to it. We all know that everyone in this town or those that come here want to park right across the street from where they’re going, as stated in many of the posts before, if you look for parking you will find it, but you may have to walk a bit. So the taxpayers of this town should spend millions of dollars to alleviate a problem that may or may not exist for two to three hours on Friday and Saturday nights?? Do the math, it doesn’t add up and with Uber that problem is going away. Let’s spend money on updating the current run down parking lots we have or reconfigure current parking lanes and see how that goes….what’s the downside? We need to stop looking backward and look forward….Uber and Amazon to name a few are changing how we live our lives….less brick and mortar, less cars being driven for nights out….that’s the future, not building a garage that maybe in 1990 there was a solid argument for.

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ENFORCEMENT ON GLENWOOD ROAD HILL TO/FROM HO-HO-KUS TRAIN STATION

Ridgewood's Glenwood Road to become one way street east of Upper Boulevard

file photo by Boyd Loving

January 24,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ho Ho Kus NJ, The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and NJ Transit (NJT) have concerns about the large trucks trying to maneuver up and down the Glenwood Road hill, as well as motorists who come down the hill, stop in the middle of the train tracks to drop someone off at the train station, and then make a U-turn on the tracks to go back up the hill. Due to these occurrences, NJDOT and NJT considered either closing down the Glenwood Road hill completely or making Glenwood Road one-way, going down the hill.

This was met by the Village Council adopting a resolution, and comments from many Ridgewood residents, and the Ho-Ho-Kus Chamber of Commerce urging that the Glenwood Road hill remain open in both directions. NJDOT and NJT have agreed to a six-month enforcement period, from January 1, 2018 through June 30, 2018 and then a three-month quiet period, from July 1, 2018 through September 30, 2018 with no enforcement. NJDOT and NJT will be closely monitoring the activities at the Ho-Ho-Kus train station during the entire nine-month period, and then will make their final decision. The Village Council has adopted an ordinance prohibiting oversized or overweight vehicles from traveling on this road, and signs are being posted.

Village Manager Heather A. Mailander , “We urge all Ridgewood residents using the Glenwood Road hill to and from the Ho-Ho-Kus train station, to obey all regulations while using this route so that the decision will be to allow the Glenwood Road hill to remain open in both directions.”

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REMINDER 2018 VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD PARKING PERMITS ARE ON SALE NOW!

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January – December 2018

Ridgewood Parking Permits – RPP

Hourly meter rates in all Village lots and streets are $.50 per hour from 10AM to 6PM, Monday through Saturday. 3 hour meters on streets & in all lots, except the Cottage Place Lot which has 8 hour meters.

RPP – (Ridgewood Parking Permit) provides ‘coinless’ convenience and can be used for unlimited parking in specified lots.  $750 Annual permits are issued for a calendar year to residents for parking in Chestnut St., N. Walnut St., Cottage Pl., Route 17 Park & Ride Lots. $1,000 Annual Premium RPP will be issued for parking at the Train Station, and all other Ridgewood Lots. A maximum of 210 Annual Premium RPP will be issued.

$1,500 Non-Resident Permit allows parking in Cottage Place Lot; $750 Permit allows parking in the Rt. 17 Park & Ride Lot.

Payment may be made by check or cash. We accept credit cards that will have a 3% convenience fee charged to the purchaser.

If the Resident RPP is purchased later in the year, fees are prorated as follows:

RESIDENT Purchase Month  

FEE

  

Purchase Month

  

FEE

 RESIDENT Purchase Month  

FEE

  

Purchase Month

  

FEE
January $ 750 July $ 370 January $1,000 July $ 496
February $ 690 August $ 300 February $ 916 August $ 412
March $ 625 September $ 245 March $ 832 September $ 328
April $ 560 October $ 185 April $ 748 October $ 244
May $ 500 November $ 120 May $ 664 November $ 160
June $ 435 December $ 65 June $ 580 December $ 76

Applications are available at the Village Hall Reception Desk Monday through Friday, 8:30AM to 4:30PM. All Applicants – residents and non-residents – must show current Driver’s License and valid Vehicle Registration(s) for up to three vehicles. For flexibility, you can list 3 vehicles on a permit, but the permit can only be used by 1 car for 1 parking space at a time.

All lots, including the Train Station Lot, will require a free Ridgewood Resident Parking Sticker in addition to the purchased RPP.  Resident parking stickers are issued annually for free to residents only at the Village Hall Reception Desk.  This sticker confirms you are a resident.

RPPs can be used in any metered space in the lots designated for that particular permit and provides unlimited parking from the hours of 6AM to 2AM. On Saturday, RPPs may be used in any lot, but not in the CBD Employee Spaces. They are not valid for street parking. The hangtag permit must be displayed on the rearview mirror when the vehicle is parked. RPP does not guarantee availability of a parking space.