New Parking Meters Installed Downtown

It's been free parking for some on Millburn Avenue and Essex Street recently, but those times are over.

Town workers were busy Friday installing new parking meters on the two roads that run through the downtown area. The meters replace every meter and not just the broken ones, said Town Administrator Tim Gordon.

The old meters were metal, he said, but the new ones are in a green casing.

"It's a different look," he said.

There have been some electronic meters along downtown Millburn's main streets, but the new ones also have a button to allow for free 10 minutes of parking, Gordon said.

The free minutes allow someone who does not have change to run into a store and get some, he said.

Additionally, the meters are easier to reprogram if there are changes in parking rates or enforcement times, Gordon said.

The meter rates were raised from $.25 for a hour to $.50 per hour a year ago, he said, and all of the new meters will reflect that rate.