A 30-percent increase in the monthly cost of parking permits for the Lewis Street garage has sparked a petition drive.
Tina Morgan and others who use the deck are collecting signatures for a petition they plan to present to the Parking Authority. She will be collecting signatures outside the deck on Thursday from 6 to 7:15 p.m., Friday morning, and again from 3 to 5 p.m. that day.
Raising rates had been mentioned as a possibility earlier in the year, but the Parking Authority Board of Commissioners at its June meeting approved increasing the monthly rate for the new parking deck by $20 — from $65 to $85.
Permits for surface lots are going up by $10, roughly 20 percent, from $50 to $60 or $55 to $60. The only fees that won’t see increases are a lot leased from St. Mary’s Church and permits in Lot B (behind The Waiting Room), which are downtown residents and merchants, said Parking Authority Executive Director Don Andersen.
Commissioners, w
ho meet the first Wednesday of the month, discussed fee increases at their May meeting, according to minutes. At least one commissioner suggested Rahway’s rates are “very low” compared to other towns while another said the increases “would not be as bad as originally proposed.” The garage began 24-hour operations June 3 in anticipation of the opening of Carriage City Plaza. Condo residents were expected to begin moving in this month.
Morgan, who uses the deck daily before taking a train to her job in Newark, said the only other neighboring parking deck with comparable rates to Rahway’s $85 is in Elizabeth at $90. She suggested the fee hike be staggered — increasing by $10 this August, and another $10 next August — to make it “more digestible.”
Morgan offered an excerpt of the letter she plans to present to Parking Authority commissioners at their next meeting, Wednesday, July 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the parking deck, 67 Lewis St.:
“We are at the mercy of the Parking Authority since the more reasonably priced surrounding lots have all been removed and no longer available to us. We hope that because the deck is now, for the most part, the ‘only game in town,’ that you would not treat your loyal patrons so cavalierly. We understand $3 million were contributed to the City of Rahway by NJ Transit to allow for the deck to be built. It would seem that NJ Transit’s interest in providing such a grant would be to encourage the public to take mass transit as opposed to overburdening our already heavily congested thoroughfares. We don’t think that the grant was given to eventually price-out the average person who takes the train from Rahway and raise the parking fee to become almost as high as the train fare. This does not seem fair, good business or in the spirit of community, which the Parking Authority heralds on the Web site.”
The $11-million Lewis Street deck opened in December 2004. Of the 524 spaces, 209 are set aside for condo owners at SkyView. Through Tuesday night, Morgan reported 127 signatures on the petition.
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Twenty bucks more per month for a parking pass – why that’s less than a dollar a day. Where is Sally Struthers when we need her? For the price of a cup of coffee each day (granted, a low-end place, not Starbucks lattes), you can help a Rahway resident park his or her car in the garage and ride the train to NYC. You’ll get quarterly progress reports from your sponsored Rahway resident, watching him or her print money based on housing prices that only go up… since Rahway is one of the few towns that will see appreciation in 2008.While I feel bad for people who are struggling to make ends meet, I doubt Ms. Morgan will become destitute because of the increase. Twenty bucks a month isn’t a lot of money. Downtown renovation comes with a price – Rahway’s free ride won’t last forever. Remember how the “first Hoboken” priced out their long-term residents? It’s starting in the “next Hoboken” already.
If you are a resident of Rahway then you know that we are far from getting a “free ride.” Taxes are high (unless your salary is upwards of $200,000) which the City of Rahway must think the majority of people make, since all the new condos they are building are quite pricey. I do, however, respect your opinion. That’s what freedom of speech is all about. Have a blessed day.
This is a horrible mistake by the town. This is a direct attack on condo owners who have no choice but to pay these fees. That’s why they are starting as soon as people are about to move in. Commuters can choose to go to another station’s parking but condo owners are forced to be at the town’s mercy. It’s the condo owners that are investing their cash into the town and putting their money into helping rebuild this town. Rahway gets $10,000 for every Skyview condo sold, that’s part of the contract. $10,000! That means every condo owner is paying the town $10,000. Isn’t that enough?? That’s over 10 years of parking fees! Where is this money going?
Has the town or Sky View considered where all the employees are going to park? And the customers of the shops? And visitors to the tenants? As it is now, if you get to the train station a little after rush hour, the deck is almost full. Now, some of these spot will be reserved for condo owners, taking away commuter spaces. Then you’re going to get the boom of employees and their vehicles. Rahway appears less of a commuter-friendly town in that respect.Seems like incredibly poor planning not to have put a parking garage below Sky View. Perhaps there are legit reasons, but the parking situation will become much worse before it gets better.Displacing commuters is much more stressful than raising the fees, I feel.
All I can say is come to the Parking Authority meeting: July 2 @ 6:30 p.m. held at 67 Lewis Street.
Just as Rahway’s businesses begin to do well the uneducated public officials who don’t have the intelligence to work in the private sector strike again. Just like the MTA, NJtransit, state of NJ and the federal government, its easier for them to take money from people’s pockets instead of figuring out how they are wasting so much money. I’d really like to know how a couple decks of concrete and a guy manning the entrance gate could cost so much to run that they need to raise fees. Are the monthly budgets for this public knowledge? With the age of the internet, you would think that all government spending would be available for the public to see?
It may be only twenty bucks more per month but why should commuters be taken advantage of for “doing the right thing”? The people needing a “24” hour garage should be picking up the extra tab,such as hotel/skyview folks.I was wondering if nj transit specified how many spaces must be put aside for commuters, being they put millions into this structure for that purpose?
So the parking deck has been opened for 3 1/2 years and is now raising rates 30%. That breaks down to 8 or 9% annually.I wish the price of gas or heating my home increased by only 30% since 2005.Linden’s lot always looks 3/4 full, and I’m sure Metropark parkers get to enjoy all of those frequent express trains than bypass Rahway.
Commuters who are commenting are acting like they own Rahway. You should be happy with a covered parking spot right next to the train station. If you aren’t, then go to another train station. I know it is a bad time to be increasing rates but the demand of the parking spots are also rising. For every person that is upset the rate is going up, there is probably another person on a waiting list who can’t wait to get a spot for whatever price it is. Everyone is excited about Rahway becoming more built up. Did you seriously think prices wouldn’t change as Rahway becomes more popular?
It’s that kind of attitude that is not needed. Proceed with caution when a public entity is allowed to raise prices at a whim. Then you are faced with no cap whatsoever with the sky being the limit. You must have an investment in the garage that lines your pockets.
theres plently of street parking if u are willing to walk a short distance so relax
Point taken anonymous 12:57. I guess the sad part about this is that Skyview has built 200 condo units and brought nothing to the table in terms of parking. I have no investment whatsoever with the parking garage. I guess I just thought people were overreacting with the rate hike. When NJTransit raised their rates and continually offer horrible service I didn’t hear about any petitions or stuff like that.
Just about every street within a ten minute walk has resident permit parking only regulations during the day.
FYI when they had surface lots there wasnt a price increase in four years.Where’s all the money going?
Hey I wonder if all the anonymous posting are by the same person having a conversation with themselves. Just a thought…
I wonder if my name is really Alexis or someone pretending to be Alexis. Or maybe I am Anonymous also.
don’t worry the john’s that will be useing the parking deck will only be there for about 15min to 1 hour. it depends on how fast they come and go,lol.
I bought my house here five years ago and Ive seen the police drive down my street a whopping six times! When my alarm went off by mistake they did appear in a flash though.