RED BANK — The borough will once again allow free holiday parking in its metered lots.
At last week’s meeting, the Borough Council approved a request from RiverCenter to permit free parking on Nov. 24 and 25; Dec 2, 9, 16 and 23; and the week of Dec 18 through Dec. 22.
Ingeborg Perndorfer, chairwoman of RiverCenter’s board of directors, said the purpose of suspended metered parking fees is to encourage shoppers to visit local merchants during the busy holiday shopping season without the threat of getting parking tickets.
"Somebody who spends $400 shopping in town and comes back to find a ticket on his or her car might be deterred from shopping here again," Perndorfer said.
RiverCenter is the corporation that operates the borough’s Special Improvement District. It is comprised of downtown business and property owners for the purpose of economic redevelopment in the area.
"This has been a long-standing borough tradition as a holiday incentive to encourage shopping in town," said Council President Pasquale Menna.
Deputy Police Chief Peter Deponte said the requirement to use parking meters has been suspended each holiday season for at least 20 years.