A professional parking consultant hired by Asbury Park to reexamine the city’s parking issues is expected to release a report on its findings next month.
Councilwoman Amy Quinn, who is on the city’s parking committee, said that Desman Associates, based locally in New York City, recently spent two days in the city meeting with stakeholders in any parking issues.
“The idea is to have a comprehensive parking plan through the entire city,” she said.
Desman was awarded the $45,000 contract and spent July 16 and 17 in Asbury Park talking to everyone affected by any parking issues.
“One of our biggest issues is how do we address summer rates against (possibly lower) winter rates,” she said.
Quinn said adding parking garages and assessing future parking requirements is also a part of the plan.
“We need to look at other areas where we could place parking,” she said.
Quinn said that two public meetings are being planned for next month, hopefully with one in the daytime and the other in the evening so more people can attend.
“They are gathering their information and will then present their plans,’ Quinn said.
Experts have said that the city not only needs to look at its parking resources, like spaces and meters, but that it also needs to create a systematic and unified parking system.
Quinn said she would also like to see alternate side of the street parking for snow and other emergencies put in place.
Councilman John Moor said at the last City Council meeting that parking problems exist in just about every-size city.
“The problem is city-wide and it is something we need to get on top of,” he said.
Desman Associates is a professional corporation with more than 100 professional and technical personnel. The firm is a leading national specialist in transportation improvements and the planning, design and construction administration of functionally efficient, attractive and cost effective parking facilities.
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