Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

TRAFFIC, PARKING, KABOOM, AND WORSE TRAFFIC: A redbankgreen SURVIVAL GUIDE

LargemapIn the zone: arrive early, or forget about it. Click map to enlarge

It’s New Jesey’s biggest and most spectacular fireworks display, and with it comes a Jersey-scale traffic jam.

Make that two traffic jams — the second one being the result of the first, and significantly harder to untangle.

Img_3415A scene from the after-party, 2007.

Let’s get right to it and say that as always, three rules apply to getting in and out of town for Red Bank’s KaBoom fireworks, which begin shortly after 9p:

• Carpool, bike, walk or take the train into town and then walk from the station. News flash: none of these approaches will kill you.

• Arrive early

• Be patient when the show’s over

The first two rules are necessary because of the staged closing of streets in the heart of town; the later you arrive, the farther away from the action you’re likely to end up hunting for a parking space.

The streets nearest the river and north of Front Street will be closed to traffic at 4p. These include Maple Avenue, Boat Club Court, Wharf Avenue, Union Street and Riverview Plaza (the street that runs from Wharf past the Riverview emergency room).

At 6p, every street in the downtown district will be off-limits to cars. The zone is defined by Spring Street, East and West Front streets, Maple Avenue, Reckless Place and Harding Road.

Thus, that ‘secret’ spot you’ve had your eye on for months? If it’s in the zone, it might as well be on Mars unless you get there before the barricades go up. Anyway, somebody else knows about it, so we recommend you get there no later than 3p. If it’s got a meter next to it, bring enough quarters to get you to 6p.

One change from last year, says police Capt. Steve McCarthy, is that the Riverview Medical Center-controlled Globe Street parking deck will be available to motorists with handicap-ID’d vehicles. But because the deck is so close to the riverfront, those motorists will have to arrive early to get there.

At 7p, southbound traffic across the Cooper Bridge (Route 35) will be narrowed to a single lane. This is less a traffic control issue than a people-control one, McCarthy says; though officialdom discourages fireworks watching from the bridge, plenty of people do it, and so police narrow the traffic to keep them safe.

At no time will the entire bridge be closed. But if you’re headed into town via the bridge (or any other route) after 6p, don’t expect police to tell you where to park. Their main objective will be to keep an ocean of pedestrians safe while diverting cars away from the downtown.

The best viewing spots? This is wide open, really. The most popular spots, of course, are Marine Park and Riverside Gardens Park, and there’s a reason for it: for watching the fireworks, you can’t go wrong. You’ll need a blanket to spread out on the grass. (The caveat at Riverside is that even the paved entryway to the park entrance gets clogged with people staking their claims, making it nearly impossible if you need to leave and return.) The grounds at the Red Bank Public Library are also good, though this is a steep slope, and not for everyone.

For those looking for a more urban experience, there are alternatives. The intersection of East Front Street and Wharf Avenue attracts several thousand people each year who don’t seem to mind either the asphalt or the fact that a scrim of buildings obscures the lower part of the show. Ditto for upper Broad Street, which takes even more neck-craning to see the fireworks. We recommend folding chairs.

West Front Street from English Plaza to Maple Avenue, though, can get scary-crowded, so unless you’re really into studying strangers’ tattoos, stay away.

Of course, if you can cadge an invite to a private party at one of the apartment/condo complexes along Riverside Avenue, all the better. Ditto for some downtown addresses.

Finally, after the fireworks, feel free to hang out a bit or take a leisurely stroll back to your vehicle. Traffic tends to come to a standstill for an hour or so. Instead of burning $4.09-per-gallon gasoline on the road to nowhere, sit and enjoy the mass exodus, which itself is a something to see. Andrew and crew at Zebu will be happy to sell you a beverage to enjoy it by.

* UPDATES: We forgot to mention when we first posted this story that the new parking garage at West Front Street and Pearl Street (opposite Hovnanian’s corporate HQ) will be offering parking spaces for $20 tonight.

Also: Red Bank Police ask that you not call their emergency numbers for information about the fireworks and other non-emergencies. Apparently, some people need to be told this. For fireworks-related info, go to the KaBoom website or call 732.842.7337.

Email this story

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
redbankgreen Classics
Partyline
RBMS HOOPS CHAMPS HONORED
The Red Bank Middle School girls basketball team is honored for their championship season. (click for more)
NAVESINK SUNSET
Sunset sunburst over Riverside Gardens Park (photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)
RIVERSIDE SUNSET
Sunday’s sunset shot from Riverside Gardens Park. (Photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus) —
MARINE PARK SUNSET
Stunning sunset from Red Bank's Marine Park.
GULLS AND GRAY OVER MOLLY PITCHER INN
On a cold rainy spring day, bulls soared high above the Navesink River and the golden cupola of Red Bank's Molly Pitcher Inn.
Red Bank Commuters Enjoy Stunning Sunrise Over Navesink River
Thursday morning sunrise over the Navesink River, a commuter view from NJ Transit Train 3320. (photo by Partyline contributor Karly Swaim) & ...
SUNRISE OVER MONMOUTH STREET
Sunrise over Monmouth Street Thursday morning (photo by Partline contributor Thomas Doremus)
FINAL STRAW FOR MARINE PARK REMAKE
Workers place a straw covering over the now-dirt (soon to be grass) stretch of Marine Park that had been an asphalt parking lot for generati ...
DEER IN RED BANK
Dear Friends –Original before GPT– Deer Friends
GHOSTBUSTERS ON MONMOUTH STREET
Ghostbusters vehicle spotted on Monmouth Street. (photo by Partyline contributor Roseann DalPra)
BOAT CLUB AND BATTLESHIP GREY
Monmouth Boat Club under the past weekend’s clouds. (Photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)    
CURBSIDE BLOOMS
Broad Street beautified. (photo and text by Partyline contributor Boris Kofman)  
NEW MURAL TAKES SHAPE AT CANNABIS SHOP
Red Bank artist Michael White, donning a hat fitting for the day of the New York Mets’ home opener, works on a new mural at Canopy Cro ...
CHERRY BLOSSOMS ABOUND IN RED BANK
Cherry blossoms are everywhere! (photo and text by Partyline contributor Boris Kofman)  
DOWNTOWN RED BANK ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON
Downtown on a Friday afternoon. (partyline Photo by Thomas Doremus)  
LIGHTS ON THE NAVESINK
Thursday’s post-sunset clouds over the Navesink (Partyline photo by Thomas Doremus)  
A SPRING IN THE STEP
A man walks carrying a bouquet of flowers beneath the blooming trees in Red Bank. (Partyline photo by John T. Ward)  
ROWING INTO SPRING
Beyond the magnolia trees in full bloom at the Red Bank Library, the Navesink River Rowing Advanced Youth Program heads out for their weekda ...
RED BANK GREEN VISITS AUSTRALIA
Publisher Kenny Katzgrau is representing Red Bank and Red Bank Green at the Local and Independent News Association Summit in Melbourne, Aust ...
MAGNOLIA IN BLOOM
My neighbors’ magnificent magnolia. (photo and text by Partyline contributor Raseann Dal Pra)