Westfield South Ave. Pay Stations....Should They Be Removed

How much revenue is generated from the South Ave pay stations? How much do they cost to purchase, install, own, operate, and maintain? Does the town clear a profit on these pay stations that service a few parking spaces? What's next, pay stations on Rahway Ave near Westfield H.S.? Or maybe, on Lambertsmill Rd adjacent to Houlihan Field? How about the parking lots at Tamaques Park. We don't mean to give the Westfield Town Council any ideas, but we're just saying, "don't ever say never."


The N.J. Star Ledger Reports – Drivers using the parking spaces on and around Centennial Avenue will soon no longer need to dig for quarters.

The Cranford Township Committee will vote on an ordinance that will remove pay stations from the business district along Centennial Avenue during the Tuesday, Jan. 11 meeting.

The move drew support from the majority of the governing body as Mayor Daniel Aschenbach began to make good on the first of a series of moves he spoke about during his mayoral address during the reorganization meeting. Aschenbach said the pay stations place a burden on the business district that is still attempting to gain its footing.

Commissioner Mark Dugan endorsed the move but called for some information before the final decision is made.

“I- as you know- don’t believe there should be pay stations there, but I believe this should go to the Parking Committee, ”said Dugan. “I think we  should get an idea of what we’re walking away from.”

Aschenbach responded that the Parking Committee would consider the topic later this month, but said in 2010 he routinely checked in with the finance department about the pay stations. He said in 2010, the Centennial Avenue stations collected about $7,000 in revenue but cost Cranford $9,000 to own and operate each year.

“The math doesn’t work. But more importantly to me, that business district isn’t the downtown,” Aschenbach said. He said that the downtown has commuters, residents, business owners and shoppers fighting for a finite number of spaces while there is less stress on the spaces in Centennial Avenue.

However, Commissioner David Robinson called the move into question. He said Cranford shouldn’t remove the pay stations- which generate money- while in the throes of a difficult budget process.

“When we’re talking about every dollar counting, why are we taking these out?” he questioned.

But Aschenbach countered that township also shouldn’t pay “$20,000 for pay stations over and above what the revenue (they produce).”