Politics & Government

Long Branch Still Deciding Whether or Not it Will Use Parking Meters This Summer

City has already purchased meters, mapped out parking spaces

Long Branch is still undecided on whether or not it will install parking meters throughout the city for the 2013 summer season.

At this time last year, the city seemed dead-set on using the parking meters to help boost revenue, but there have been many complaints from businesses and residents on the effect they will have on them.

"The revenue requirements are still there, but we understand the effect it could have on businesses," City Business Administrator Howard Woolley said this week. "We are still trying to ascertain whether to do it or not."

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The city passed an $855,000 bond ordinance for the meters last June and outlined a plan where all the meters would be placed. The original plan was to have them installed and running by mid-July, 2012, but that never happened.

Woolley said the city has the meters in storage and that they are ready to be installed if the city decides to use them this summer.

Find out what's happening in Long Branch-Eatontownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We have them all set to go and we could have them up and running by May if we wanted to," Woolley said.

The council originally agreed that the parking meters would be in operation from May 15 through Sept. 30 and would cost $1 per hour on weekdays and $2 per hour on weekends and holidays.

The location of the meters is what caused so much contention with residents and businesses.

"Many residents thought all street parking should remain free," Woolley said. "We compromised by doing one metered side and one free side."

Some of the locations included Pier Village, Brighton Avenue and West End Avenue east of Ocean Boulevard and the east side of Ocean Avenue from Seven Presidents Park to Atlantic Avenue.

Woolley said the council will still discuss the possibility of having parking meters this summer, but did not know when those discussions would take place.

To see all the details of the city's original parking meter plan, click here.


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