Dear Editor:
I am writing to state frustration with my observations of the actions of the Jersey City Parking Authority. Every day that I come into work on Central Avenue, it seems that another parking space in the Post Office lot is reserved for JCPA employees. They now occupy more than half the spaces in the lot. Also, I have noticed that in the Burger King parking lot and along the street, there is almost always a car parked at an expired meter with a ticket book in the window.
After doing some research, I discovered that the JCPA grew over the last two years from 60 to 140 employees. If their policy is to give away parking spaces to any employees who want them, then where are they getting these spaces from and where are shoppers and store owners supposed to find their own parking? I guess unlimited free parking is just another perk of being a city employee. For the rest of us who base our livelihood on the success of the neighborhood, parking is considered to be more of a privilege, which I think shows a complete lack of respect and consideration for our place in this neighborhood.
The Jersey City Parking Authority is in an urban neighborhood where everyone has to work together to maintain the safety and viability of the district. As a city agency, the JCPA should make a commitment to the people who work, visit and reside in this city to equally provide them with parking services and enforcement. To that end, parking for us should not be a privilege any more than it is for them. If the JCPA feels that its workers are entitled to parking spaces, then they should either build a new lot to house all of their employees’ cars or move their offices off of a busy main street business district and into an office park that can accommodate their needs.
Name withheld