Commuters note benefits

of E.B.

By vincent todaro
Staff Writer

of E.B.’s parking utility

By vincent todaro

Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — Officials with an ad hoc commuter board want to dispel a number of "myths" regarding the township’s parking utility.

The township’s Commuter Parking Advisory Committee gave a presentation at the July 21 Township Council meeting to try to convince council members and the public that the utility is not in as bad a shape as some have argued. The presentation coincided with the council’s introduction of a $1.15 million bond ordinance to pay for improvements to the Neilson Plaza, one of the two township parking facilities.

Committee member Randy Schafer spoke and used a computer presentation to argue that the township-owned parking utility has been unfairly criticized over past months. He said the utility has not presented any problems for the township and noted that East Brunswick was able to land the Tower Center project, its largest ratable, because of the utility’s cooperation.

Schafer also said that bus fares for commuters have been "relatively flat" for the past decade.

As part of his attempt to debunk what he called "myth No. 1," he pointed out how East Brunswick residents benefit from the utility. Buses leave the township for New York every 90 seconds during morning rush hour, and the utility subsidizes half the salary of Township Finance Director L. Mason Neely.

Myth No. 2, he argued, is that the utility is a burden on East Brunswick taxpayers. In recent months, officials have discussed that about $500,000 in rent paid to the township each year by businesses adjacent to the Transportation and Commerce Center parking facility goes to the utility budget rather than the municipal budget. It has been argued that the rent money is a boon to commuters only, taking the money away from township taxpayers as a whole.

Schafer said no taxpayer dollars have ever been directly committed to the utility, and the parking fees have "long been associated with successful commercial development generation."

Schafer said the third myth is that the utility is not a vital asset to the township.

He argued the proximity of the utility has been the reason why many people have moved to East Brunswick, and resulted in higher property values for all property owners. In fact, he pointed to a committee survey that concluded that approximately 10 percent of East Brunswick’s "working population" commutes to New York. Previously, the committee had said 10 percent of the general population commutes to New York.

As further evidence of the utility’s value, he said residents get the chance to take in cultural activities such as Broadway shows by using the parking facilities.

Schafer admitted there are a number of "immediate challenges" the utility faces.

He referred to the improvements needed for Neilson Plaza, saying they include the resealing of cracks and joints, as well as concrete repair. The costs will be approximately $1 million. That is only the township’s share of the project, though.

In addition, there is a shortage of parking spots at Neilson and a lengthy waiting list of commuters who want monthly permit parking. Daily spots are also available, but commuters prefer permit parking because it is cheaper and spots are closer to the bus stop.

Though the utility will need to pay for the Neilson work and also faces a sharply reduced fund reserve, Schafer said rate increases are not needed.

"There’s no need to move forward on rates now," he said. "We don’t think it’s time to raise rates."

The council is expected to vote soon on whether to increase parking rates, and it also may decide to take away the $500,000 in rent money.