When it comes to parking rules and permit fees, Hudson County resembles a commonnwealth of sovereign nations, each with wildly diverse approaches. Then there's Hoboken.
Truth be told, no one lives in Hoboken because it's a great place to park. It is a great place to live.
That said, it is an expensive place to live. The 2020 Census will provide a wealth of demographic data, including how much of Hoboken's dwindling middle class has hung on since 2010. In the meantime, perception can take on its own reality.
So, with the Hoboken City Council on the cusp of raising the cost of residential parking permits by 247%* ($0.29/week to $1.00/week), GA took a look around Hudson County to see what our neighbor's charge for resident and non-resident parking permits.
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| sources: municipal websites or municipal ordinance |
The strangest: Kearny. They don't seem to have residential on-street parking permits, period, but sell permits to park in specific municipal parking lots. Kearny also charges the highest annual parking permit fees in Hudson County for business vehicles, $525/ year.
Weehawken, Secaucus and Bayonne charge no annual fees for residential parking stickers. Next-least is Union City, with a one-time residential parking permit fee of $5. Parking permits for Union City businesses are also a relative bargain at $50 per year.
And Jersey City? With its booming development they must be killin' it: contractor parking permits at $5 day and $250/year. Ka-ching!
GA NOTE: Hoboken is one of the densesly-populated cities in America. When it comes to parking, the differences in size, population, types of housing, median income, personal car ownership, and available street parking between Hudson County municipalities makes an apples-to-apples comparison with Hoboken impossible.
But, it doesn't hurt to see what our neighbors are doing, and perhaps what is working for them and what isn't. It seems to me that Hoboken's proposed 247%* parking permit increase may be intended more for discouragement from car ownership than to plug a budget gap; a message of sorts to encourage use of alternative transportation.
I don't oppose a permit cost increase. I do question a 346% increase- essentially a 'flat tax' hike on car ownership, which feels punitive (to me). Peeps with whom I usually agree have told me I'm wrong. But it seems to me that this ordinance needs more thought- exclusions for seniors on fixed incomes, for example. Hoboken could raise more revenue if parking permit fees were tied to household income: those at the upper tier paying more than those on low and fixed incomes. Just sayin'.
Think about it!
*edited from 346%, my bad (math!)
*edited from 346%, my bad (math!)
A car takes the same amount of curb space no matter who owns it.
ReplyDeleteAll car owners should pay the same.
Really? a Mini cooper takes as much space as a Chevy Pick up truck, a Range Rover or a Van?
DeleteWith the way that people in Hoboken park, SURE! :D
DeleteIn today's world curb space is at a premium. Amazon, Fresh Direct, USPS, UPS, FedEx, restaurant deliveries, business deliveries, dropping off kids, grandpa etc. We've got to look at how we manage curb space for the greater good of the community. If we allow people to park their person vehicles on the street, it is monopolizing critical curb space that can be used for so much more.
ReplyDeleteBy raising permit prices, we are nudging people to perhaps move their car to a garage space. (I know several people who have dedicated garage parking spaces, but still park on the street because it's closer to their house and/or more convenient.) How do we change this behavior? Permit prices have been extraordinarily inexpensive for years. .28/week! This proposed increased is for $1/week. Garage spots cost $200-300 per month. Why are we only proposing $52/year for 'convenient' street space?!
It's hard to change behavior and rethink curb space, but it's way overdue.
$4.50 a month... Can't park a few hours on Washington Street that cheap. Thank Mayor Bhalla for finally addressing this. Too many people move here and don't use the parking their building offers, some even rent their spots out and then park on the street for 15 per year! I recall Giacchi would rent out his Court Street garages, then park on Hudson Street for $12 a year and often seen strutting from Stevens Lot to his brownstone every night. Yeah, I bet he paid them.... Don't even get me started on politicians who whined after superstorm Sandy that residents cars were swamped...Buy in a luxury highrise, park in it like the Variance promised
ReplyDeleteAMEN
DeleteIt’s actually a 247% increase. To calculate the increase the formula is new minus old divided by old.
ReplyDeleteHappy Impeachment Day! Thank you, you're right. The proposed new fee is 3.46 times the current fee, with a 247% increase!
DeleteRusso was opining about constructing new parking garages on a news outlet's site. If EVER there was a councilman who should STFU about parking, it's Russo, given the reputation he inherited. He's also on the subcommittee that denied a disabled parking permit to a double amputee, before he and one other committee member rescinded that decision when the more unhinged of the committee of three's trio would be absent.
ReplyDeleteAnd on Wednesday, Council will hear more about the rail yard project which, when developed, could be a financial windfall for DeFusco as a pathetic pawn of developers and Giattino as a real estate agent.
Taking bets on whether or not they will recuse themselves.
I'll grant you that $52 a year is not exorbitant. What I think is lost in some of these posts is that between Zipcars, bike stands, loading zones and intersection parking restrictions, 100's of parking spots were eliminated. This exacerbated an already tough situation. Like so many things today, the car and parking issue in Hoboken is a polarizing one. With increased development, I suspect it's only going to get worse.
ReplyDelete