One of Red Bank’s new parking pay stations, on Wharf Avenue. (Click to enlarge)
We’ll take credit for this one.
Red Bank parking officials say they have reprogrammed the new kiosk-based parking-pay system to correct a setting that redbankgreen had called out as unfair.
Among the complaints redbankgreen relayed from users to parking director Gary Watson last month was one concerning the cost of minimum-time stays.
With the switchover from coin-operated meters to the new system, users can no longer buy just a half an hour in the lots where the kiosks are in operation. Instead, they must opt for one, two, three or four hours.
Though the rate of 50 cents per hour in the lots was unchanged, that effectively doubled the cost of a minimum stay to 50 cents, from 25 cents.
But users who selected one hour on the new kiosks and paid with currency were charged $1, because no change is given by the machines, and no refunds are available.
So in effect, they were paying for two hours but only getting one. Users who selected the two-hour option and paid $1 were not shortchanged on time.
Watson said that he reviewed the complaint, which had only been voiced through redbankgreen on behalf of readers, and concluded that “it’s only fair” that users who are charged for the equivalent of two hours get those two hours, whether they select that time option or not.
The minimum time option, however, will not be changed and will remain at an hour, Watson said.
Watson said borough officials are still mulling whether to enclose the kiosks in shelters, in response to complaints that wet credit cards and currency weren’t being accepted by the machines when it rains.
