By ED SALVAS
The ongoing effort to improving Asbury Park’s parking situation moves forward this week when the Bangs Avenue Parking Garage becomes a paid parking garage with expanded hours of operation on weekends.
Mayor John Moor announced at last week’s City Council meeting that the garage will open Sat., Aug. 1 for paid parking under an agreement with the state which owns the garage that’s used during the week by people who work in the downtown state office building. Beginning Aug. 1 the public will be able to use the garage Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays from 9 to 1 a.m.
“We have conditional approval from the state but still have some kinks to be worked out.,” Moor said, including the actual number of spaces that will be available for paid parking as some of the 275 spaces are already being rented out by the state for $40 a month.
The mayor said the goal is to move all of the city permit parking to the Bangs Avnue garage, but that won’t happen until sometime in 2016.
Councilman Joe Woerner said they hope to eventually have the garage open for paid public parking in the evening during the week in addition to the weekends. A pay station will be located in front of the garage and the rates will be the same as for parking on the street.
Opening the Bangs Avenue garage for paid parking is the latest effort by the city to alleviate the parking crisis. The lot in front of City Hall was recently paved and lined for paid parking and is now free during he day for city business but becomes a paid lot after 5 PM Monday to Friday and from 9 a.m. to midnight on weekends.
