250+ Parking Tickets Issued In Red Bank During Nor’easter

RED BANK, NJ - Over 250 parking tickets have been issued since Sunday during an unyielding nor’easter that brought up to 16 inches of snow to some parts of Monmouth County.

According to municipal ordinances, an on-street parking prohibition is in place on all roads in the borough to allow for snow plowing and emergency vehicle traffic. Vehicles parked in the streets may be ticketed or towed.

The Red Bank Police Department encourages residents to park in municipal lots on Mechanic Street and Wallace Street or at Count Basie Park, although “it appears a relatively small number take advantage of it,” Red Bank Chief of Police Darren McConnell told Patch.

In fact, so few residents have taken advantage of the free parking space that 254 citations have been issued since Jan. 31. Chief McConnell says that the number is a product of significant enforcement efforts during major storms, and that “other comparable storms have produced very similar numbers of tickets.”

“The number does fluctuate, but in significant storms we enforce more strictly than in minor storms,” McConnell said.

“We are finding that the high number of vehicles left on roadways during significant snowfalls is making it very difficult for crews to properly clear the roads. In some cases this becomes a very clear safety issue," McConnell said.

A winter storm warning is in effect for Monmouth County until 4 p.m. Tuesday. A Coastal Flood Warning will also be in effect until 5 p.m. Tuesday for Monmouth County. Monmouth County residents are urged to stay indoors until the storm subsides late Tuesday.

The state of emergency for New Jersey also remains in effect and 3,900 pieces of equipment are currently clearing snow and sleet from roadways.

"Let me be as forceful on that point as I possibly can. If you don't need to be out, go back to your house immediately," Gov. Phil Murphy said during a Monday news conference. "If you're in your house, don't leave your house. You're jeopardizing either one or both of the following: yourself or secondly the crews."