RED BANK: NEW PARKING METERS TO DEBUT

Red Bank is planning to replace its coin-operated parking meters, and the public will get a chance this week to weigh in Wednesday on the changes they’ll bring.The switch from mechanical to smart meters is “is going to be one of the largest changes in the parking operation in recent memory,” borough Business Administrator Ziad Shehady said at the council’s August 14 workshop session.

Details of the proposed purchase were not immediately available.

According to an announcement posted on the borough website Tuesday afternoon, the upgrades follow a recommendation in a parking study done by New York City-based Walker Consultants and released in January.

The report calls the existing coin meters “obsolete, and the parking lenses are UV damaged, making the meter faces difficult to read.”

Walker “strongly advised the Borough to immediately re-invest in the parking utility through the use of new technology available in the latest models of on-street parking meters,” the posting said.

Shehady said the changes had been reviewed by Red Bank RiverCenter, which runs the downtown special improvement district.

The presentation is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in the council chamber and expected to last an hour, including a demonstration of the new equipment and a question-and-answer period.