Dear Editor:
Let’s agree that it is impossible to create enough new parking to fully satiate demand in the short term, even if cost were not an issue. For most of us, the odds are very small that the HPA will build a parking garage conveniently and unobtrusively in our neighborhood at a price we can afford. Our best hope for relief is for the HPA to reallocate street parking to make it more accessible to us-Hoboken residents and taxpayers. I am willing to compete for parking with other residents, but not with commuters and bar patrons.
Out of frustration, I counted 635 cars parked in Resident Permit Parking Only zones to determine who is using the street parking.
• 393, or almost 62 percent, were cars with valid Hoboken Resident Parking decals.
• 102, or 16 percent, had valid Temporary or Business Permit parking credentials.
• 140, or 22 percent, had no valid parking credential.
The counts were done on Hudson Street from 2nd to 9th Street during times of regular parking enforcement spanning four days in March.
Parking policy must be revised to move non-residents out of resident parking and into metered parking and parking lots. It would be akin to creating 38 percent more free resident parking on every street with little new demand. Many neighborhoods in Boston and Washington DC have already undertaken these measures successfully. I know it would cause hardship to some non-residents so I encourage the HPA to aggressively pursue perimeter-parking solutions.
In the meantime, I will suggest a relatively simple plan:
1. Designate one side of every block as Resident Permit Parking Only. No four-hour exception, No Visitor,Temporary, or Business Permit parking at any time. Enforce it 24 /7.
2. On the opposing side of the street, efficiently enforce the current four-hour limit all day, every day. Current enforcement is weakest at peak parking times, evenings and weekends. With sufficient oversight from City Hall, the HPA operating surplus and enforcement revenue will cover the costs of enforcement.
3. Tighten proof of residency requirements to receive a Resident Parking Permit. Require proof that the car is permanently registered to a valid Hoboken address. This will help prevent fraud, student and commuter use of resident parking privileges.
Unfortunately, no remedy will provide parking to everyone so, I ask City Hall to manage the resources in the best interests of the constituents and make policy that improves my access to street parking. Force the bar patrons and commuters to use the lots and parking meters.
Daniel deCavaignac