I personally don't find that my customers have a problem with the parking however in our merchant meetings that is one of the big topics that is constantly brought up. Many of the restaurants feel that there is not enough parking for the lunch time crowd which has caused some of them to limit the amount of days they are open for lunch.

The NJ Montly article was wonderful! I have received business from Red Bank, Toms River, and Freehold because of it.

I met a friend at Casona, the newish cuban place during lunch and parked down the street from the place...no big deal...I guess people complain about parking everywhere...

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Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day that says, "I will try again tomorrow."

---Mary Anne Radmacher

Lumberyard Condos - any details?

Casona is a lot further down so there really isn't a problem there. Where Nunzio's, Tortilla Press, Word of Mouth, and the Pop Shop are located is where a lot of people are finding a problem.

What I have heard so far is the sushi bar, a upscale hair salon from Philly, Aenigma from Philly. Apparently Aenigma was located on 4th Street, has anyone heard of it or know what type of store it is? I'm sure people are interested in some of the empty locations at the Lumberyard but they don't want to tell the merchants who they are until they're definitely moving in there.

I'll try to pass by the Philly address and report back...

At the lumberyard condo presentation they said that they are building a parking lot just for the patrons of the main street. Do you think this will help? I know when my husband and I have been there on a Friday evening we have to circle around a few times to find parking on the main street - it never bothers us! (But we live in Center City right now so anything is better what we are dealing with)

That could definitley help as long as they make sure people that are using it aren't taking the train or residents. All in all, it's a great town and it just needs more stores and more walking traffic.

Now this will be great!

http://www.courierpostonline.com/app...=2007704250373

Corzine administration announces Collingswood/DRPA Transit Development partnership

At a dignitary filled, April 24 news event, Collingswood and the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) announced a partnership to examine the possibilities of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) at the Collingswood PATCO Speedline station and surrounding area.

“Coming on the heels of the success at the Lumber Yard, we’re thrilled to partner with the DRPA/PATCO to explore more transit oriented development along the PATCO rail line,” said Mayor Jim Maley. “Our community will help plan this redevelopment to strengthen our business district, provide new ratables to ease property taxes and create a new neighborhood of families and friends to add to the fabric of Collingswood.”

The first phase of Collingswood’s TOD plan, the Lumber Yard condominium complex, is already under construction along Haddon Avenue within blocks of the Collingswood PATCO Station. Next steps will include seeking input from Borough residents in how to develop the PATCO parking area and adjacent space. The Borough will use funds from a $20,000 Urban Land Institute grant to engage residents in planning charrettes and provide information sessions with expert speakers to address TOD issues and benefits. The first event, which will include expert speakers to give perspectives and answer questions on TOD, will take place on May 2 at 7 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Grand Ballroom (315 White Horse Pike). The event is open to the public. Interested citizens can also get more information by visiting the Collingswood public library where materials on TOD are available. TOD documents can also be found at www.collingswood.com under the Transit Development Information link at the right.

Development talks will focus on areas along North Atlantic Ave, directly around the Speedline station. The Borough is considering more residential and commercial buildings and a parking garage to help address the area’s current parking situation. New Jersey Smart Growth initiatives encourage growth on already developed land rather than clearing new areas so work will take place over much of the current Speedline station parking area, making it necessary to replace and increase spaces.

According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation, The Transit Village Initiative helps to redevelop and revitalize communities around transit facilities to make them an appealing choice for people to live and work and increasing walkable communities. The DRPA and Collingswood are taking first steps to advance the project from a conceptual stage to reality through a process that will include a significant amount of public engagement.

An extensive feasibility study was conducted for DRPA in 2005 and 2006 by Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC to examine the possibility of TOD at its six suburban PATCO stations and the Ferry Avenue station in Camden. The studies showed Collingswood’s location ideal for implementing a TOD project. The Wallace Roberts & Todd study shows that residents of a well-designed new development at transit stations ride transit up to five or six times more often than residents of comparable development located away from transit.

TOD is part of a larger trend taking place across the country, where has witnessed a boom. A study by the California Department of Transportation showed that benefits of TOD planning include:

Reduction in air pollution and energy consumptions rates and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.5 to 3.7 tons per year for each household.
Increased household disposable income after reducing driving costs; saving $3-4,00
Conservation of resource land and open space
Mobility choices for congested areas and allows people who prefer not to drive and those people who do not own cars to get around

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Ten Principles for Successful Development Around Transit
High-Density Development: Myth and Fact