Parking at L.S. train station will cost more
Permits, meter rates go up to fund lot repairs
BY MELISSA KARSH Staff Writer

LITTLE SILVER - After seven years of static pricing, commuters will see an increase in 2008 parking prices at the Little Silver Train Station.

The Borough Council passed an ordinance outlining the price increase for a six-month permit, which will go from $130 to $200, and a 12-month permit, which will go from $240 to $360.

"We keep our prices the same as the New Jersey Transit (NJT) lot," said Borough Administrator Michael Biehl. "Basically NJT sets the price and according to them this is the going rate."

Biehl added that the meter price is going to be increased from $2 to $3 a day.

According to Mayor Suzanne Castleman, borough officials want the extra money from the increase in parking prices to be put toward renovations to the NJT lot, which is located on the west side of Ayers Lane.

"I think people may be upset about the increase but the parking lot is really a mess and we have been trying to get this done for a long time," said Castleman.

She explained that in the past, the borough had a lease agreement for the operation of the NJT lot but that the lease has not been renewed in recent years because of the poor condition of the lot.

"We lease it from NJT but that lease hasn't been renewed in a number of years because we can not get them to agree to fix it up," said Castleman. "It's a liability with the potholes and the broken curbs and half of the parking meters don't work."

According to Biehl, while trying to negotiate a new lease including the renovations, the borough is continuing to operate the lot without a lease but following the old rules by way of a mutual agreement with NJT officials.

"That's part of the reason why it's taken so long [to work out a lease agreement]. We want them to do a major renovation of the lot down there. We feel that it needs a lot of work. We can't do that without their permission; that is the reason for including it in the lease. The thing is over the renovation of the lot, the cost that's involved, because it will be several hundred thousand dollars to do that," said Biehl.

The proposed renovations include recurbing, repaving, drainage work, new striping and upgrading the meters.

Biehl said the lot the borough owns on the east side of Ayers Lane has already been repaved and recurbed and completely renovated.

"The problem is, I think just from the public perspective, they don't realize it's two lots, that it's separate but internally the borough owns one," said Biehl.

He added, "Little Silver is unique in that sense because most towns don't own their own lot."