City Passes Parking Meter Ordinance

Long Branch is a little bit closer to adding parking meters throughout its ocenanfront area this summer.

The Long Branch Council passed an ordinance this week that bonds $855,000 for the meters, which will be similar to those used in Asbury Park near the boardwalk and on Cookman Avenue.

Each space would be striped and numbered and people who wish to park in them would pay at a meter with either coins, dollars or a credit card. Motorists can even use their smart phone in order to add time.

Long Branch Business Administrator Howard Woolley has said the charge to park in each space would probably be $1 per hour on weekdays and $2 per hour on weekends from 9 a.m to midnight. Woolley has also said the meters would be in effect during the summer months only.

The council will then have to introduce and adopt a second ordinance that will set the locations, prices and time the parking meters will be in effect.

The location of the meters has not been set in stone, but they would likely be located in West End, specifically Brighton Avenue and West End Avenue, and east of Ocean Boulevard. Places such as Beachfront North, Pier Village and the area around Seven Presidents Park would have hundreds of metered parking spaces.

Mayor Adam Schneider has said the Pier Village is "definitely" going to get parking meters as well as several oceanfront areas.

Residents in areas such as Beachfront North and the area around Seven Presidents Ocean Park have asked the council not to place meters is areas around their homes and apartments.

Woolley and Mayor Schneider have said they will work with residents and listen to their concerns before they make a decision on where they will place the meters.

However, he said the meters are definitely coming this summer.

The mayor said Long Branch's parking consultant Gerald Giosa said the meters should pay for themselves in the first year and bring in over $1 million in revenue if used for a full summer as they would be in 2013.

Mayor Schneider said if the city does not find another revenue source, there could be cuts in several key departments such as the police and DPW next year.