Ridgewood’s Engineer Chris Rutishauser explained the pros and cons associated with automated parking structures
MARCH 27, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — Village officials continue weighing potential solutions to the downtown’s parking paucity, and could end up turning to robots for help.
Ridgewood’s Engineer Chris Rutishauser explained the pros and cons associated with automated parking structures to the village council this week.
Village officials, who have met with representatives from the county in recent months to discuss a possible partnership on a parking garage facility, are considering an automated parking garage system at its worn lot on Hudson Street, Rutishauser said.
“It is something worth exploring, but we’re not ready to unequivocally recommend it,” Rutishauser said. “We’re enamored with the idea but we’re not ready to say this is the best thing for the village.”
In automated parking garages, cars are driven into a loading bay. When the car’s occupants leave the bay, a button is pressed, closing a glass door.
The vehicle is then scanned before a robotic pulley system carts it off to a space. For the forgetful, the scanning system can even detect pets or children.
Vehicle owners pay for parking time when they return, as the computerized, robotic mechanism retrieves the vehicle.
A conventional parking garage at the same site on Hudson Street could net the village 170 to 230 additional spaces, spread out over four parking decks and a roof. An automated garage, Rutishauser said, could hold up to 475 cars.
All of those spots would also comply with Americans with Disabilities Act standards, the village engineer said.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-considers-automated-parking-1.1297090
