In West Cape May: No Plans for Meters All Over Town

WEST CAPE MAY — There is no truth to the rumor there are plans to place parking meters all over town to generate additional revenue for the borough, according to Mayor Pamela Kaithern.
Currently West Cape May has no parking meters.
She said parking meters have been talked about for many years with some residents favoring the devices and others opposed.
“Fow Tract is one area where residents would welcome parking meters because it would help to keep things moving,” said
Kaithern. “The same thing around Wilbraham Park, that area gets congested in the evenings hours with some of restaurants on occasion.”
The Fow Tract is in easy walking distance to Cape May’s beaches and provides a meter-free parking area in front of private homes.
Deputy Mayor Peter Burke said when was campaigning for reelection with Kaithern and Ramsey Geyer, residents said they heard rumors that plans were in the works to put meters everywhere in the borough.
Kaithern said there has never been talk of putting meters “everywhere,” especially on residential streets, because there is expense associated with purchasing parking meters plus costs associated with maintenance, collection of coins and accounting for the funds.
There would be a period of time before the borough saw a payback from the meters, said the mayor.
Resident and former Borough Commission candidate James Labrusciano said in the long term, meters would generate revenue.
Kaithern said it was necessary to calculate how often meters would be used.
“The biggest benefit may not be in revenue but in turnover of traffic,” she said.
Some renters of vacation homes in Cape May, which have no driveways, park their cars in West Cape May which deprives borough residents and visitors of a parking space, said Kaithern.
Kaithern said a committee looking at ways to create sustainable revenue.
Burke said the borough was looking at the possibility of creating two municipal parking lots, one on Sunset Boulevard, another on Park Boulevard.