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Downtown Hastings To Lose Free Parking Spots During Bridge Repair

HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. -- Available space in parking-stressed downtown Hastings-on-Hudson will be limited even further when repairs continues on the busy Warburton Avenue Bridge through 2015.

Major repairis on the Warburton Avenue Bridge in Hastings will cause the loss of two dozen or more parking spaces.

Photo Credit: Danny LoPriore

Village residents and visitors who normally park on the bridge, which runs north and south along Warburton Avenue from Washington Avenue to Main Street in the business district, will have to find parking in one of the four metered village parking lots while parking is suspended and the one lane of the bridge closed during the work.

"We took 21 spaces underneath the bridge and created 19 new ones -- 12 new metered spaces on Cropsey Lane and seven metered spaces on the southwest corner of the tennis club on River Street," Hastings Police Chief Anthony Visalli said. "We have a meeting with the merchants and we will be discussing potential parking arrangements for when the time comes to close the top deck of the bridge. Nothing has been finalized as of yet regarding those spaces."

Because of concerns being lodged, the village will hold a meeting at 6 p.m., Wednesday, April 16, in the Hastings Library's Orr Room, located on the lower level. The meeting will cover the bridge project as well as a proposed ban on plastic bags and Styrofoam.

"Dozens of parking spaces will be taken away from downtown Hastings, an area that has long had a shortage of parking," said Bob Martino, who has a business office in the village. "There will be a lane for one-way, southbound traffic on the bridge, but no longer any parking. The project will cause hardship for the merchants and other business people downtown, who need places to park during the workday."

Martino is also concerned that limited parking may drive away customers from downtown retail businesses that are already under pressure.

"For some time now, there have been a number of closed storefronts in downtown Hastings," Martin said. "If the bridge project causes more businesses to fail, the downtown area may go into a tailspin."

The meter-less free parking on the bridge accommodates up to 40-50 cars and trucks with only Thursday and Monday alternate side "No Parking" restrictions from 9-10 a.m. twice a week. 

Metered parking is available along Warburton Avenue, Main Street and in the four municipal parking lots from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and free overnight, but spaces are often at a premium.

 

 

 

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