Changes to Parking Regulations Proposed for Memorial Plaza
The Pleasantville Village Board has proposed adjusting rules at the Memorial Plaza parking lot near the Metro-North train station largely due to changes in commuter habits.
Parking demand in Memorial Plaza has dropped dramatically since the start of the pandemic because many local residents who used to commute daily to Manhattan or other destinations have been working remotely.
Officials hope the proposed changes bring in some more revenue and address the issue of many parking permit holders underutilizing their access to the lot.
While parking demand has recently increased to some extent, the number of vehicles hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels.
“It seems fair,” said Mayor Peter Scherer. “Especially coming off this year when so many people paid for parking and used it rather infrequently. Who knows what that will look like in the year to come. All of this is a work in progress.”
The proposed revisions would continue to authorize Memorial Plaza parking permit holders to park in the lot Monday through Friday, and on Saturday without additional charge. Non-permit holders may park in the lot after the peak commute times Monday through Saturday but must pay a 75-cent hourly meter fee, which can be paid in 20-minute increments, until 6 p.m. Sundays would be free to all.
Free parking after 3 p.m. on weekdays would be discontinued.
Only permit holders would be able to park at Memorial Plaza from 6 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday, instead of the current 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Starting at 10 a.m. on weekdays, the lot would also be open to drivers without permits.
Prior to the pandemic, Metro-North’s peak morning travel time was any train arriving at Grand Central by 10 a.m.
“Right now, Metro-North is not enforcing peak and off-peak,” said Village Administrator Eric Morrissey. “But we want to align our restrictions to Metro-North’s definition of peak.”
Parking payment by non-permit holders on Saturdays would address the problem of spots filling up for the entire day when the farmers market is held at Memorial Plaza.
“Once you have to start paying on Saturday, that will be a deterrent for people who have been parking in that lot all day,” Scherer said.
Another change would include converting meters on the median from the gazebo to Manville Road to a maximum 12-hour stay.
Non-permit holders parking could use pay stations and the Pango mobile parking app.
A public hearing on the proposed changes will be held at the board’s next meeting on Nov. 8.
Comments or questions on the proposal can be sent to villageclerk@Pleasantville-ny.gov.
Abby is a local journalist who has reported on breaking news for more than 20 years. She currently covers community issues in The Examiner as a full-time reporter and has written for the paper since its inception in 2007. Read more from Abby’s editor-author bio here. Read Abbys’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/ab-lub2019/
