A decision to go with resident only parking is not elitist. It is based in simple economics. If Ridgewood taxpayer funds are used for the parking structures and for the lots and on-street parking, why shouldn’t the people who pay those taxes have preferential access to that parking? They have already contributed to the costs. I commuted by train for a while. Parking in Ridgewood anywhere near the station was almost impossible, but it was very easy to park in the HHK lot (not so easy now). Why would we give preference to non-residents? If they pay the same parking fee but do not pay Ridgewood taxes that support the parking, then they pay less for the same usage. That would be unfair to residents.
Here’s some other “simple economics”
Parking deck can’t possibly pay for itself.
Will require subsidy from taxpayers for years and years.
Meter rates will rise and infuriate shoppers and store owners.
Meter times will expand and infuriate shoppers and store owners.
None of that seems to matter. The garage is going to be built.
If there are empty spots in the deck, which will almost certainly be the case, they should be rented to commuters for the highest amount the market will bear. Then if parking in the deck becomes a problem, cut back on the out-of-towners permits.
Until then, out-of-towners permits will mitigate the pending financial disaster..
When the
This concept of private ownership will not work. Want to know why? Because no-one in the private sector would be foolish enough to invest in a business model that has no economic chance of being profitable. You see, this is where the free market and publicly-run enterprises differ. Privately owned businesses are motivated by their own skin in the game. Public sector enterprises are not. It’s other peoples money.
This town is pathetic with this idiotic garage .taxpayers are really pissed. street pavement conditions are beyond dangerous..thats the sound of your cat suspension breaking loose when you fall into the bowels of the roadbed
Oh look there is Bill Grae running late because he overslept. He is pushing a “lady who lunches” out of his way while he gets to his parking spot because, you know,he is more important than the lady who is going to have lunch.
11:06 is correct
Other People’s Money
Just like the bike lane to nowhere…
Wake up council members!
Stop wasting our hard earned tax dollars
If Mike and Susan are unwilling to listen to reason then why do they deserve another term? They should come out against any garage and show they can actually listen.
10:32 PM They do listen and that is why there is so much discussion and revision of plans. The reason we are discussing the garage today is because just a few short years ago we had a council who said the public wanted a huge garage that did not fit the existing footprint, Some of those same people and their supporters still want that and the rest of us are willing to live with a compromise. Make sure to ask the challengers where they stand on this and other issues before you cast your votes against Mike and Susan.
2 years later…. Still nothing… Later is not better. It is too late
Will property taxes really go way up because of this?
This and our magnificent Education Supervisors who have been having pipe dreams for years. They act like they can mint money, and that if they throw money at beautifying the school surroundings our educational rankings will go up instead of Down, Down, Down. I don’t understand how replacing working toilets is going to create a bigger lunch area or increase our rankings. But in both the unneeded garage and the unneeded beautification of our schools, new taxes are going to become even more unbearable. We have a “below average house” and our taxes are almost $17,000 dollars. And the council and school superintendent want to add to this?
The roads in this town are ridiculously bad – and this is supposed to be an upscale town? worst roads ever and they are constantly ripping them up – spend the money on fixing them once and for all instead