At the start of the spring semester, all free parking at Rowan University and Glassboro was removed, including Rowan Boulevard, the first level of the Rowan Boulevard Parking Garage, and along High and Main Street in Glassboro. This came as a shock to many, as for the first time since Rowan Boulevard was opened, there was nowhere to park without paying a fee.
Now, after the shortened 30-minute free time window ends for registered vehicles, parking costs $1 an hour for the first two hours at the Rowan Boulevard Parking Garage. The fee also maxes out at $8 to park for four to twenty-four hours. As for the on-street parking, it is now metered and the rates are the same as the parking garage, minus the 30 minutes of free parking time. If someone does decide to try and get away with not paying, they are issued a warning for their first offense. By the second time, drivers will end up with a ticket that is double the price of what it would have cost if they had just paid the fee.
In this piece, I will only be focusing on the issue facing the parking along Rowan Boulevard and the Rowan Boulevard Parking Garage. The decision to remove free parking on High and Main Street in Glassboro was decided on by the city and does not reflect a decision made by Rowan or Nexus itself. This also goes for the free parking that is now gone from the Mick Street Parking Garage, as that is solely operated by Nexus and the University did not lease spots in that space, whereas they did on the first level of the Rowan Boulevard garage.
As I have talked about in my other writings, I am local to this area. I grew up in Mullica Hill, and for people my age and the general community, Rowan Boulevard was a popular destination to visit.
Chickie’s & Pete’s was the ideal sports bar to watch the Birds play on a Sunday. On hot summer days, large groups of friends would flock to the Yo-Go factory, grab an acai bowl from Playa Bowls, or get Boba at Kung Fu Tea. The Exit 4 Escape Rooms were popular for birthday parties, and I have attended three separate ones there, including my own, followed by eating yourself into a coma at Cookie Munchers.
Rowan Boulevard isn’t just for college students, but a place that gives local kids like myself a place to hang out and have a good time with friends. Some of my favorite memories growing up were spent here on the boulevard with the people I care about, years before I became a Rowan student myself.
For many in the area, Rowan Boulevard was the closest location to certain restaurants. For example, Lascala’s Fire only has two locations, one on Rowan Boulevard and the other 40 minutes away in Marlton. The next closest Chickie’s & Pete’s is in Philadelphia, and even cheaper options like Pizza Hut and Domino’s are two chains that are one of the closest in the South Jersey area. The Barnes & Noble is also the next closest bookstore to the one in Deptford, a convenient stop for people who don’t want to go out of their way by 20 minutes.
While the relationship between these businesses, their economic ties to Rowan, and how this applies to Nexus, Glassboro, and Rowan’s relations are unclear, it is very discouraging for those who have lived in this area and visit Rowan Boulevard often to have the free parking taken away. Not only does it stop people from going to Rowan Boulevard because they don’t want to pay a fee, but it forces them to look elsewhere to spend their money which takes revenue away from the city of Glassboro.
A recent study commissioned by Rowan revealed that the University has a $2.9 billion economic impact on New Jersey and that students and visitors spend $195 million in the region. This so-called “region” not only includes businesses in neighboring towns, but it includes the city of Glassboro itself. The free parking spots allowed visitors to easily spend their money at the restaurants and businesses on the boulevard, something that will lessen with there now being a fee required to park, regardless of if it’s a minimal amount.
Illegal parking is also a major issue on campus, a problem that will only grow larger with there being no free parking spots. Visitors may resort to parking on residential streets where they are prohibited, causing problems for the residents of Glassboro who wish to park on their own street with the pass they have to do so.
With Nexus having control over Rowan Boulevard and its parking garages, the removal of free parking was ultimately a final decision made by them that the university must abide by. However, if Nexus wanted to ensure more South Jersey residents would flock to Rowan Boulevard to visit the businesses, go out to eat, or gain access to downtown Glassboro and put money into their economy, they should reconsider this decision.
A few free parking spots won’t lose them a ton of money, considering you previously still had to pay fees to park longer in the garages, as the first level was only free for an hour. Making the spots on Rowan Boulevard free again will cause the number of visitors to increase, not only generating more revenue for the businesses on the boulevard but also strengthening Glassboro’s economy.
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