Residents complain
permit wait is too long
BY JOSH DAVIDSON
Staff Writer
ABERDEEN — Some area residents say getting a parking permit for the Aberdeen-Matawan train station is not easy.
"It’s a disaster," said Ahmad Osmanovic, a commuter from Aberdeen. "I can’t find a spot without the monthly permit [sign] and it’s like a big lottery."
People are told to keep checking with the township to see their status on the list. People are removed from the list giving others a chance for a permit frequently, Aberdeen Mayor David Sobel said.
Area residents on the list for a permit have to wait at least five years before getting a permit.
When a permit becomes available, the next person on the list is sent a letter asking them to fill out the necessary forms for it, township Manager Mark Coren said. If they don’t, another person is chosen from the list.
About 1,200 Marlboro residents use the train station, Coren said. Aside from Aberdeen and Matawan, residents county-wide, including Freehold, Jackson and Howell use the train station.
Officials from Aberdeen and Matawan both said redevelopment projects at the train station would be a good way to add parking spots for commuters.
Both municipalities have selected developers for redevelopment projects.
Aberdeen, applied in March 2003 for $99 million in federal aid to being a possible $750 million road improvement program for the train station’s surrounding area on behalf of the township and Matawan.
Aberdeen will not do anything at the train station until it receives federal funding, township Deputy Mayor Owen Drapkin said.
Coren said he is unsure if the federal government will provide that money, he said.
If Matawan proceeds with its redevelopment project NJ Transit wants to increase the number of spaces in the Matawan parking lot, Buccellato said. The number of spots that would be added is yet to be determined, he said.
At this point, Buccellato said he does not see any other way to improve the situation, he said.
Developers from surrounding towns, like Freehold and Marlboro, advertise a close proximity to the Aberdeen-Matawan train station to potential home buyers, he said.
"I think they are giving people a false sense of security that they will have a parking space," Buccellato said.
The best way for the township to solve the problem would be to implement its redevelopment plan and build spaces, Coren said.
The only other way to solve the problem is to have users pay for additional spaces through either parking fees or tolls, he said.
— Vince Echavaria contributed to this story