Ridgewood Train Station Underpass Could be Covered in Ads

The "Welcome to Ridgewood" mural that greets commuters may be getting a major makeover, one that's decidedly more commercial.

Village Manager Ken Gabbert presented to the council a revenue-generating NJ Transit proposal that would see as many as ten advertising signs adorn the 's underground passageway.

Removing those layers of chipping paint from the walls would force the village to deal with the problems beneath the surface – asbestos and leaks being among the major structural problems with the wall, Gabbert said.

He estimated that work would cost upwards of $70,000.

"At this point we're very concerned that to just go in and try to make it look better by painting and repairing is going to be extremely costly," he said, adding the NJ Transit proposal would superimpose the advertisements on that space.

"One, we do need to make improvements from an aesthetics standpoint to that underground walkway," the manager said. "Secondly, every revenue source we can find is a positive to the village."

The "conservative" revenue generating estimate was pegged at around $65,000 annually, though the figure would lessen depending on how many ads went up and what the ads are.

The village has total control on which ads are selected and it could limit the signs entirely to village businesses if it chose, though Gabbert cautioned doing so "would affect revenue."

The expected revenue stream would go toward some painting in the passageway but not toward making structural repairs, Gabbert said.

Mayor Keith Killion said the proposal would give the appearance of "a subway station" and he was hesitant to endorse the plan.

"I definitely think it's something we should explore," Councilman Paul Aronsohn said, adding he was hopeful spots could be found for local businesses.

"I think the signs are at worst equal to what's there now but the benefit is we're getting positive cash flow out of it," added Councilman Steve Wellinghorst in support.

Deputy Mayor Tom Riche didn't express strong feelings toward the sign proposal on the inside, but was resolute in his stance that signs on the station's exterior be ad free.

A formal presentation will be made to the council at a future meeting.