Open public streets to commuter parking

The subhead on a front page Nov. 12 News Transcript article reads: “Local Officials Are Trying to Create More Spaces for Manalapan Commuters.”

If the writer had actually ventured into Manalapan, she would have readily seen that these officials are the cause of much of the problem, not the solution.

They have taken away the freedom to park on public roads by restricting Monday through Friday daytime parking along all side streets within roughly a half-mile of bus stops along Route 9 and the Franklin Lane commuter lot.

This has removed hundreds of free potential parking spots for concerned commuters wishing to abandon their cars in favor of buses, thus creating a waiting list of about 900 for permit parking.

All the issues arising from private auto use — increased air pollution, traffic congestion, dependence on OPEC which created world-wide havoc with its artificially high oil prices, and the dead and injured soldiers fighting in Iraq over oil — are clearly of no concern to Manalapan officials.

They are more concerned with pacifying the crybaby, selfish residents along these streets who mistakenly think that the roads in front of their homes — even though paid for with public funds — are for their exclusive use.

With Manalapan’s 75-foot setback ordinance, these residents have driveways at least that long, which is more than adequate for them to park at least four of their own vehicles; so they can’t use that as an excuse for the ban.

And since no responsible parent would allow their kids to play in the streets to begin with, that’s another excuse than won’t work. (Besides, commuter cars are parked for about 10 hours, not moving all day long and creating any hazards. And when both parents work, the homes are empty, so it’s nobody’s business who might be parked in front).

If Manalapan officials are really concerned about inadequate commuter parking, I publicly challenge them (and their counterparts of similar mentality in surrounding towns) to get rid of all these residential side-street parking restrictions.

All it takes is a stroke of the pen. No extra clerical effort would be needed to handle permit paperwork and no new money would be needed to acquire, rent, or maintain these existing spaces.
Raymond Kostanty
Manalapan