Ridgewood NJ, as previously reported on this blog , Village Engineer Christopher Rutishauser was asked to ascertain the feasibility of adding approximately 40 additional parking spaces at the Ridgewood train station. Mayor Susan Knudsen suggested that additional parking spaces might be added by removing some of the large, grass & tree covered center island in the current parking lot.
While the Village Engineer has attempted to upgrade the project to include moving the bus station, the simple solution and cost effective solution would just be to stick with adding the new spaces to the train station .It would ad the most spaces quickly and effectively.
It amounts to a small sacrifice of removing a few feet of grass with a net gain of anywhere from 28-40 spaces .
No it will not solve the whole problem but it will help out commuters , and generate more revenue for the Village with passes .
It will also shift commuters from taking up valuable spaces in front of merchants free ups spaces for shoppers.
Ridgewood NJ, pulled this picture off of Facebook , it would limply the problems in Ridgewood run far deeper that building a parking garage . Perhaps a picture is really worth a thousand words. .
There is a big demand for parking from 6-10pm weekends to accommodate the dining crowd from oak to broad area. If the lazy diners walked 3-4 blocks they could get a parking space,
Many good spaces haven been eliminated as they are dedicated valet .
Let the restaurant owners pay for the garage,
As a long time resident I have zero interest in subsiding your business
Ridgewood NJ , the over looked issue for the central business district is not parking , but congestion . There are just to many choke points in the CBD. Be they caused by ill planned “traffic easing” with suicide bike lanes or PSE&G upgrades it has become increasingly difficult to get in or out of the Central Business District.
Currently West Ridgewood Ave and Godwin are almost impassable .The proposed Hudson street garage ,because of its very location will make matters even worse by limiting access via Broad Street.
Over development will only make things worse ,contrary to assurances high density housing on Franklin will further restrict traffic at the Franklin and Broad intersection , virtually cutting off the Westside from the East side of town .
Maple is difficult at best , leaving only Prospect and Oak street as possible alternatives . Currently large events in the Village take a minimum of 45 minutes to and hour to arrive and park .
It is well know that retail is a fast changing environment with most shopping now done on line . In order for stores to survive they must become “destination shops” holding events to attract customers , so traffic is only going to get worse .
The answer given by the powers that be is always ,”we need garage” and residents at the new developments will not , have kids,drive, park ,have visitors or shower.The lack of credibility makes Comedy Central look like a serious news network.
Our point is instead of pushing hidden agenda’s with ulterior motives primary pursued by developers and their friends we need a comprehensive plan that factors in moderate development, infrastructure , retail, restaurants , mass transit , pedestrians,cycles and parking .
2. Statement of Compliance with Open Public Meeting Act
Mayor: “Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by a posting on the bulletin board in Village Hall, by mail to the Ridgewood News, The Record, and by submission to all persons entitled to same as provided by law of a schedule including the date and time of this meeting.”
3. Roll Call – Village Clerk
4. Flag Salute/Moment of Silence
5. Public Comments (Not to Exceed 3 Minutes per Person – 40 Minutes in Total)
6. Ridgewood Water Presentation – Lead and Copper
7. Discussion:
a. Ridgewood Water
Award Contract – Tree Maintenance Services
Award Contract – Water Main Replacements at Stream Crossings
Award Contract Under State Contract – Materials and Supplies – Water Main Repairs
Authorize Change Order – Rehabilitation of Glen Tank
b. Parking
1. Update on Hudson Street Parking Garage
2. Request for Proposals – Pilot Program – Alternative/Non-traditional Commuter Transportation Services
3. Preliminary Design for Train Station Parking Area
4. Parking on Pomander Walk
5. Cambridge Road and Bogert Avenue Parking
6. Repeat Zone Parking
c. Budget
Reject Bids – School Bus Transportation Services – Summer Day Camp
Award Contract – Professional Traffic Engineering Services – West Side Study Area
Award Contract – Gate House Sloped Entry – Habernickel Family Park
Award Contract – Communications – Police Department
Award Contract – Paving
Award Contract – Central Valet
Surplus of Police Vehicles
Temporary Emergency Budget Appropriations
Temporary Emergency Capital Budget
Capital Ordinances
d. Policy
Amend Chapter 260 – Trees and Shrubs
Sustainable Jersey Actions Regarding Responsible Pet Ownership
Age Friendly Ridgewood – Mayor’s Pledge
Boards and Committees – Structures and By-laws
Historic Preservation Grant Proposal through Bergen County Open Space Trust – Zabriskie-
Schedler House – Phase II
e. Operations
Release of Cash Security Bond – Sludge Hauling Contract
Installation of Bus Shelter/Bus Bench – West Glen and North Monroe
Upgrade of County Traffic Signals
Accept Donation – Restoration of Sally Port – Ridgewood Police Department
Surplus & Donation of Police Equipment
8. Review of April 12, 2017 Regular Public Meeting Agenda
9. Manager’s Report
10. Council Reports
11. Public Comments (Not to Exceed 5 Minutes per Person)
12. Resolution to go into Closed Session
13. Closed Session
a. Personnel/Contract Negotiations – White Collar and Blue Collar Negotiations;
Boards/Committees
b. Contract Negotiations – Consideration of Purchase of Properties;
The crowd who loves high-density CBD housing, massive hospital expansions, and giant money losing garages hate adding more parking to the train station and CBD in a simple and low-cost manner. Why? Because supporting simple, low-cost, low-impact, high-ROI programs undermines their entire narrative of over-developing. Is Sears failing from a lack of parking? Is Englewood, NJ struggling with store-front retail due to a lack of parking? We have the parking, the very well done Walker and Maser reports show we don’t use what we have. Why don’t we try maximizing all the space we have already dedicated to parking first, then think about building. The garages all lose money even while requiring huge fee increases and are really subsidies for the local developer and a couple land owners in the CBD.
Halaby et al do not favor any parking solutions except the garage, promised by former Deputy Mayor Albert Pucciarelli and former Mayor Paul Aronsohn to the developers so that they could legally provide less parking on their own apartment properties. Resolve the parking situation in other ways and the (unwanted, unneeded, solution-less) garage goes away. We can’t have that!!!!!!!
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood police say scammers are sending out emails to motorists claiming they’ve received a bogus parking ticket.�Fraudsters are using this sample of an email below:
28-182 – Loading zones and handicapped parking Required to appear in court�Parking ticket number information: PDN7319091 Check parking fine To pay your parking fine, download your fine and choose one of 2 convenient ways: 1. Online (Link)�Pay online by Visa or Mastercard, $2 processing fee.�2. By phone (automated system) Pay by Visa or Mastercard at (866)561-9742 Best regards,�Police Department.�Parking Citation Revenue The criterion appropriateness is $68. Some ($17.50 championing m abuses , and $12.50 championing unlisted violations) goes to agreement and county costs and the butt end ($45.50) goes to the city\’s accustomed function to recompense championing animated town aids, adding policemen and pom-pom. There are additional parceling elsewhere championing fix-it awards and incapacitated parking violations.Late costs typically artifact the charge of a parking ticket. To disposition alone abeyant disciplining, we committed to get your expenditure within 21 days of the day- after-day the appropriateness was issued, or 14 days from the day-after-day of the first overdue notice.
The Ridgewood Police Department would like to remind the public that at no time would we or the Parking Enforcement Unit issue a summons or make notifications through email.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Ridgewood Police Department to ensure you’re not becoming a victim of these scams. Call (201) 652-3900
Mark Krulish , Staff Writer, @Mark_Krulish6:45 p.m. ET March 30, 2017
RIDGEWOOD — After months of discussion and comments from the public regarding two ordinances that restricted parking on certain residential streets, the Village Council will have ordinances prepared at next month’s public meeting to ease some of those limitations.
One ordinance, adopted in June, banned parking on Pomander Walk from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. . Another disallowed parking from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., from Sept. 1 through June 30, on Bogert Avenue and Cambridge Road 500 feet from their intersections with East Glen Avenue. Those were passed in December and took effect in January. In both cases, safety concerns for pedestrians and residents in the area were the main driver of the changes.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Charles Bozian asks ,”This is the “green” space everyone is getting hot and bothered about, the grass around the cement path….. really???”
funny how no one ever said a thing about the portopoty that was station at the train station for over 3 months ?
As someone who is on the fence about the garage to begin with – the FAC presentation did nothing to convince me this is what the town needs. How can the council and residents get an accurate idea of the financial impact of the garage if the numbers are not even accurate for the current proposal. This presentation, while well-intentioned, was a waste of time for all involved.
….the fly has noticed that with every new suggestion for parking changes there is a concerted push to undermine the Mayors efforts .Who could believe that here in “turf town” that people suddenly are concerned with an empty strip of grass at the Ridgewood Train Station. Mind you years of neglect didn’t seem to make an impact. Every new suggestion is attacked by the same group that brought you “Garagezilla” an ill fitting monstrosity with its sole purpose was creating taxpayer funded parking so private developers didn’t have to. Recent events on Bogart and Cambridge suggest a further attempt to undermine the Village council efforts ,with engineering over reach and a failure to communicate. The Financial Advisory Committee’s recent debacle with their “alternative facts “garage report gave away the game proving unequivocally that the FAC is behind attempts to undermine Mayor Susan Knudsen as they were with previous Mayor Kieth Killion.
Ridgewood NJ, During Wednesday evening’s Village Council Work Session, Village Engineer Christopher Rutishauser was asked to ascertain the feasibility of adding approximately 40 additional parking spaces at the Ridgewood train station. Mayor Susan Knudsen suggested that additional parking spaces might be added by removing the large, grass & tree covered center island in the current parking lot.
Rutishauser was also tasked with determining the possibility of creating more parking spaces along the east side of Wilsey Square, just south of the train station’s parking lot. Grass & trees currently occupy this area as well.
No date was given as to when the results of the Village Engineer’s study would be available for Village Council review.
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Police Department is looking to hire a Part Time parking Enforcement Officer. The Part-Time position is up to 20-hours a week with pay starting at $17.19 per hour. Applications are available at the Police Department. Send resume, cover letter and application to Chief Jacqueline Luthcke, Ridgewood Police Department, 131 N. Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 by April 14. The Village of Ridgewood is an EOE and civil service community. All hiring is provisional and subject to Civil Service and residency requirements.
2. Statement of Compliance with Open Public Meeting Act
Mayor: “Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided by a posting on the bulletin board in Village Hall, by mail to the Ridgewood News, The Record, and by submission to all persons entitled to same as provided by law of a schedule including the date and time of this meeting.”
3. Roll Call – Village Clerk
4. Flag Salute/Moment of Silence
5. Public Comments (Not to Exceed 3 Minutes per Person – 40 Minutes in Total)
6. Presentation
a. FAC Assessment in Paying for a Parking Garage
7. Discussion
Ridgewood Water
Change Order – Furnish and Install Control Valves at Various Locations
