Red Bank officials this week began to address one of the foremost complaints about the downtown Broadwalk zone: the presence of “ugly” orange safety barrels used to supplement steel bollards installed last year.

Tall vinyl sleeves cover bollards, seen below, at the three locations to allow for vehicular traffic closures. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

The bright red sleeves are over six feet tall, and cover the two-foot-tall retractable bollards installed in 2022 in conjunction with a streetscape project.

Because the bollards were not considered visible enough, orange safety barrels have remained in continual use to alert motorists to their presence.

Police Chief Darren McConnell has asked that reflective striping be added to the covers, said Bob Zuckerman, executive director of the downtown promotion agency Red Bank RiverCenter, which manages the shopping-and-dining plaza. Once that’s done, as expected in the next day or two, the “ugly” barrels will be removed, Zuckerman said.

Broadwalk, on Broad Street between Front and White streets, reopened last week for a season scheduled to run through September, unless extended by the new mayor and council to be seated July 1.

Coming soon to the plaza: a  communal dining tent, which will be erected on  the west side of the street, just north of the Bistro at Red Bank, Zuckerman said.

The purpose of the tent, expected next week, is to enable “anyone to get takeout from anywhere” and eat in the zone, Zuckerman told the council in March, when he outlined a plan to address various complaints. QR codes at each table will link to a web page that will allow visitors to have orders from participating restaurants delivered to the tent, he said. Alcohol will be prohibited.

If you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen, please become a financial supporter for as little as $1 per month. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.