In the April 19, 2013 issue of Soundview Rising
In New Rochelle the Citizens Budget Committee is having a profound influence on the New Rochelle City Council. At their April 9, 2013 meeting several of their suggestions for saving money were discussed. One was to add red light cameras. The City is moving forward to test four intersections: North Avenue and Main Street, North Avenue and Huguenot Street, Webster Avenue and Main Street, and Webster Avenue and Lincoln Avenue. Redflex Traffic Services will test these intersections for 48 hours and report to City Council at their May meeting. However, no tickets will be issued during the test. Council had previously discussed the possibility of using red light cameras but the general consensus expressed was that New Rochelle did not have enough traffic and accidents when using accepted standards to justify use of these red light cameras.
Reaction by residents has not been favorable. It is apparent to them this is strictly an attempt to generate more taxes. When people driving cars know there are red light cameras they often speed up to get through the intersection. This has been known to cause accidents.
But there is more controversy in New Rochelle. Downtown parking in the evening, especially for the restaurants, was considered urgent by the BID (Business Improvement District) and they along with the City Council paid for a Downtown Core District Parking Study by Tim Haahs Engingeers and Architects. This study turned out to be a study of contradictions. The restaurants are in need of parking for their customers. An unregulated cadre of valet parking attendants have to vie for parking spaces. But what solution are offered?
It was observed that about 50% of the vehicles were at expired meters. Why weren’t they ticketed? So it is a mystery how the suggestion to expand the time limits on the meters can ease this problem? Are people staying in restaurants because they are not being ticketed or are people parking for other reasons and uses? There was no analysis of where the people with the cars had gone. Similarly, valet parking was creating double parking on Division Street and Huguenot Street and causing traffic back-ups. Only four restaurants were interviewed and they had a total of 85 employees and they claimed many of them do not drive to work.
It would seem a fairly simple task to count all the employees in all the restaurants downtown and to ask how many drive to work.
The parking survey was completed in the middle of February at a reported temperature of below 30 degrees F. Recommendations made were to convert the curb spaces in no parking or permit parking areas
to metered spaces, thus creating l04 spaces. This would include the Library employee permit areas. Increasing parking spaces in the Avalon Bay garage was also suggested. Most surprising is the suggestion to change the Library Lot south, Centre Avenue lot and Church Division Street lot to valet lots on Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight charging a fixed parking fee of $5. Valet parking could use the aisles for parking more cars if necessary. Meter payments along the streets can be made to use cell phones and credit cards.
However until this parking study has been publicized, the public’s reaction can only be speculated. Do people with cars have options to drive to areas where there are no fees for parking? Where are people visiting friends living in downtown going to park? What spaces will be reserved for people attending church services or other organizations and clubs in the area? Will this severely impact the south end of the City? The next Council meeting should devote some time to answering the concerns of residents.