Ridgewood looking at parking proposals
OCTOBER 5, 2014 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — Village officials unveiled several parking proposals they hope will attract visitors to the downtown business district and also ease parking for residents.
One proposal offered at Wednesday’s council meeting would standardize parking hours, fees and durations throughout the village.
“All downtown meters would run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” according to the proposal, altering the current 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. range.
Also, all downtown meters would offer three- or four-hour parking, as opposed to the current limit of two hours.
“All downtown meters will cost 25 cents per half-hour,” the proposal states, adding existing 15-minute parking spaces would remain.
“This will make parking easier and simpler for shoppers and diners, enhancing the overall downtown experience,” according to the plan.
Another proposal seeks to restrict long-term parking passes — currently sold to residents and non-residents on an annual basis — to Ridgewood residents only. At present, about 120 out-of-town commuters pay the same amount as residents for long-term parking passes, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld said. An alternative proposal would have non-residents pay twice as much for the long-term pass.
“There is a parking scarcity in this town,” Mayor Paul Aronsohn said at the council’s meeting Wednesday, adding it has taken out-of-the-box thinking to determine ways of improving it.
The issue of parking in Ridgewood has been front and center in recent weeks at public forums organized by Deputy Mayor Al Pucciarelli. At these gatherings, residents and business owners have keyed in on parking as the village’s biggest hindrance.
The Village Council recently reached a deal to provide off-site parking for downtown business employees on Franklin Avenue, at the former Ken Smith site.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/council-considers-parking-upgrades-1.1102744#sthash.oGxHLntR.dpuf
