the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Westwood NJ, good news for shoppers on the go! Making a quick stop in downtown Westwood, NJ, just got a whole lot easier. Borough officials have launched a new “Grab and Go” pilot program offering free, short-term parking to draw more customers to the bustling business district.
Park for Free: The “Grab and Go” Details
Forget fumbling for change or rushing a quick errand. The new program, which runs from September 15 to October 31, designates specific spots for free 10-minute parking.
These special “Grab and Go” spots are easy to spot—they are marked with a green stripe and new parking signs.
The locations were chosen strategically to serve businesses that thrive on quick visits:
- Center Avenue (North of Westwood Avenue)
- Fairview Avenue (South of Westwood Avenue)
- Madison Avenue (North of Washington Avenue)
Mayor Raymond Arroyo noted that the Center Avenue spot, for instance, is conveniently located next to a Starbucks, making it perfect for a rapid coffee run.
Why the Change? Driving Business Success
The initiative is a creative solution to address increasing parking demands. Mayor Arroyo explained that the downtown area has seen a shift from low-impact retail to more parking-intensive businesses like casual restaurants and service providers.
“We are trying to stretch our [parking] inventory by utilizing loading zones that go mostly unused for long periods of time during the day,” Arroyo said. The goal is simple: eliminate the frustration of circling for a spot, which often drives customers to shop elsewhere.
Councilwoman Lauren Letizia, co-founder of Celebrate Westwood, emphasized that maximizing the use of limited curbside parking is essential for the continued success of the local economy.
The Police Department and enforcement officers will monitor the success of this pilot. If the program proves effective in boosting foot traffic and managing turnover, the Borough Council will consider making the “Grab and Go” parking spots a permanent feature of downtown Westwood.
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It takes me 10-minutes just to get out of my car.
Richwood already has a program: Tag and go (before the customer comes back)
Ridgewood has a much better program.
1. Restaurant’s demand a parking garage to be built at great expense.
2. Meter rates are raised over the entire “parking system” to pay for garage.
3. Restaurants lobby for free parking during the busiest 4 hours of the week.
4. Taxpayers get left holding the bag.
Why can’t a restaurant patron pay 3 or 4 dollars for parking before paying 18 dollars for a martini?
Post of the day !