Garden State Plaza gets OK for parking guidance system

The Garden State Plaza received unanimous approval for the installation of a parking guidance system in its main parking deck, as well as several other minor improvements to the parking lot and entrances

The approval was granted by the Paramus Planning Board at meeting earlier this month.

The system consists of a network of cameras within the garage and a sign outside the entrance, according to civil engineer William Page. The cameras, which are spaced at approximately every other parking space, detect whether nearby spots are occupied. Spaces that are open will have a green light above them, and occupied spots will have a red light.

In addition, the number of open spaces is calculated by the system and displayed on the sign at the garage's entrance, giving motorists up-to-date information on both how much parking is available and where it is located.

"This is what they call real-time sequencing," Page said. "As cars go into parking spaces, that information will be sent to the computer, which will then tell people that are driving into the garage that there are 200 parking spaces on level three or 100 parking spaces on level one."

The primary purpose of the plan is to ease the flow of traffic in and around the garage, according to Page. Drivers currently travel throughout the garage looking for an open space, adding to congestion and increasing the risk of accidents. Once the system is installed, drivers will know exactly where to look for a free space.

"They'll know their chances are better finding a space on level two and they'll drive right to that location instead of circulating around," Page said.

The system is expected to operate half an hour before the mall opens and remain on half an hour after the mall closes for the evening, Page said. The sign itself is designed to prevent glare from the sun, maximizing visibility and minimizing distraction to drivers during the day. The sign's LED lighting will remain visible at night without giving off much light and can be dimmed or intensified as needed.

These signs are new to the area, but Westfield, the company that owns the Garden State Plaza, does have similar signs in other malls and they have proven useful, according to Page. Board member Gary Pucci noted that he has also seen the signs while traveling and agreed that they will ease the circulation of traffic in the Garden State Plaza.

"I'm quite familiar with these systems, as I travel to Germany a lot and I go where they have them. They work quite well," Pucci said. "They are very helpful and will be a good addition for the traffic flow at the Plaza."

The ring road between Old Navy and Macy's is also slated for general improvements, motivated by a desire to improve valet parking, according to Page. Currently, the space for valet parking at the Capital Grill is limited, and has caused a negative impact on nearby traffic.

"What we're trying to do is come with some plans where the valet parking for Capital Grill would work so you wouldn't have cars parked into the ring road and improve circulation in the area," Page said.

To remedy the situation, the space for valet was expanded from 4 feet to 18 feet, enough parking for six cars directly in front of the restaurant, according to Page. The restaurant will retain seven standby spaces located nearby for use as needed.

The entrance curb needs adjustment to accommodate the change, and the ring road itself will be straightened in the vicinity of the changes, according to Page. The road is currently curved at that location, something that has drawn concern from local fire officials. The new layout will make the area both more accessible for emergency vehicles and easier to navigate for everyday motorists.

"We did lose 27 parking spaces, but in reference to what we're doing with safety and circulation and the valet parking for Capital Grill, we think it's a fair tradeoff," Page said.