file photo by ArtChick
Ridgewood is a destination. If you park them they will come. Parking is not just for commuters. It’s for restaurant goers, shoppers and patrons of other businesses. But sadly that ship has sailed. So Ridgewood’s reputations as the town with no parking will continue to proliferate, drivers will continue circling as pedestrians continue having accidents, and the types of businesses we would like to attract will avoid us without assurance of parking for customers. Lack of forward thinking is keeping us locked in a past that is no longer viable and now the damage is beginning to show as businesses leave town. Ridgewood is not a mall, and we should not equate failing Macy’s or Sears with Ridgewood’s CBD, which offers a completely different experience of boutique shops and specialty stores, restaurants and pretty park. I don’t come to town to get my shoes fixed or my nails done. I come to Ridgewood because it’s a nice place to go. The parking garage was a good idea, the study was done, the plans were made – it should have moved forward
