Asbury Park Nixes Free Parking

While Belmar has designated certain streets for "residents only parking", Asbury Park is taking a slightly different route to keep the town from being inundated with visitors - turning the meters back on.

Asbury Park turned off their meters on March 22nd, but according to the APP, you'll have to pay to park again starting May 1st. As the weather gets warmer, the crowds are going to start to flock back to beach towns, and there's a big risk that we could see a spike in covid cases.

There really doesn't seem to be a "right answer" for shore towns when it comes to this summer. Towns have to walk a fine line between protecting the year-round residents while not totally alienating the seasonal visitors that feed the economy. I was kind of surprised when the APP included a quote from Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn saying "we're hoping if you're required to pay for parking you'll go somewhere else." It's a surprising statement from a town that relies so heavily on the tourist season.

If you do head to Asbury Park, you should probably use their mobile app so you don't even have to touch the meters in town.

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