Free parking likely extended until pay stations replaced
Damaged by Sandy, 57 out of commission
Because of damage from Hurricane Sandy, free three-hour parking in metered areas of the city has been extended until ruined pay stations can be replaced.
“We need to extend it,” city manager Terence Reidy said at the Dec. 19 council meeting.
Free parking usually begins around Thanksgiving and extends until the beginning of January. This year, free three-hour parking commenced in early November due to the storm, and was slated to end in January.
Officials explored the possibility of relocating working meters to different places in the city, but decided to wait until new meters arrived instead because meters should be available by March, Reidy said.
“We figured, leave it alone now, let the holiday continue and then bring up everything at once,” he said.
The city has insurance on the meters, which will cost about $800,000 to replace.
About 57 meters were broken when salt water and sand got into the machines, city engineer Joe Cunha said.
“We get sand and wind and rain every single year,” Councilman James Bruno said. “We get nor’easters every year.”
“Not like this,” Reidy said. “The proof is in the pudding. They were damaged by Sandy.”
The city will purchase the “next generation” of pay stations rather than keeping the current model, Reidy said.
Asbury Park has about 100 parking pay stations spread throughout the central business district and waterfront areas. When the meters were initially purchased, they cost slightly more than $1 million, Reidy said.
The council originally authorized the purchase of 150 parking pay stations when they were first installed in the city, but only 100 were purchased, Reidy said. This allowed the city to purchase new pay stations without having to wait 90 days, which would have been necessary if new authorization was required.
The council has not yet taken any action to formally extend the free parking. The governing body passed a resolution in November establishing that parking would be free for the holidays.
Parking costs one dollar per hour in most of the city. In the spots closest to the beach, the price doubles. Motorists park in numbered spaces then walk to pay stations, enter the number of their space, and pay with cash or a credit card.
