With near continuous rain Saturday and Sunday, Broadwalk’s last weekend of the season was a washout. (Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
Broad Street will re-open to traffic between Front and White Streets Tuesday morning, wrapping up another season of Red Bank’s downtown pedestrian plaza.
The Thursday market was an added Broadwalk feature for 2024. (Photo by Brian Donohue Click to enlarge.)
Broadwalk was created in 2020 to help downtown businesses recover from the wallop of the COVID-19 pandemic that arrived in the United States earlier in the year. The plaza is now guarded against vehicle intrusion by heavy-duty steel bollards that retract into the ground when not in use. In February, the Borough Council voted unanimously to make the closing an annual occurrence codified into law.
This year’s season was marked by expanded programming with a regular Thursday evening market and the seemingly annual early morning traffic bollard crash by a person charged with driving while intoxicated. Oh, and the chagrin of the 30 percent or so of downtown business owners polled who oppose having the road closed to traffic.
Red Bank Rivercenter director of marketing and events Tom Hanley said the weekly market as well as weekly “kids takeover” events will likely return next year with additional programming in the works.
By ordinance, the closing of Broad Street between Front Street and White Street runs from the second Sunday in May to September 30.
Red Bank Police Captain and soon-to-be-chief Mike Frazee said he expects the roadway to be opened to traffic sometime before noon Tuesday, once crews from the Department of Public Utilities complete some tree pruning work that needs to be done.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331 or yelling his name loudly as he walks by. Do you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you haven’t already. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.
