file Photo Boyd Loving
Pay station proposed at Ridgewood park and ride
Monday January 20, 2014, 11:53 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Ridgewood’s slow progress toward advancement in parking meter technology is about to take a small step forward, with commuters who use the park and ride lot along Route 17 primed to benefit from additional payment options.
The Village Council is considering the purchase and installation of a multi-space pay station, a single unit that would essentially replace the individual, old-fashioned coin-operated meters that are currently in use at the lot. The new machine will still accept coin deposits, but users would also have the payment alternative of paper bills.
Municipal engineer Chris Rutishauser and James O’Connell, of the village’s traffic and signal department, identified the lot as a candidate for the new pay station because of its low turnover – most who use the facility likely commute each day to New York City, they said. Officials also estimated that half of the motorists who park in the lot own a Ridgewood UP3 permit.
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“A pay-and-display method, where a user receives and displays a parking receipt on the vehicle’s dashboard, was also considered but ultimately rejected by village officials. That process requires an enforcement officer to individually survey the parked vehicles, whereas the pay-by-space system allows the officer to examine cars based on the information stored in the pay station.”
1-Pay & display is better from a security & enforcement standpoint. Officer must see every vehicle. Can determine if someone is inside passed out, if inspection sticker is expired, or if break in to vehicle has occurred. Lazy way out is to have one station.
2-One station is no good when people are trying to catch a bus. NJ Transit has more than 1 ticket machine at train station. They are not stupid like the Village.
3-Take credit and debit cards. Cash walks away in employee’s pockets.
4-SOL when machine breaks when only 1 machine.Dumb move.