Dear Editor:
The “More parking tickets…” headline on a two-paragraph story in the October 11 issue of The Hoboken Reporter was misleading. The story seemed to be saying that the Hoboken Parking Utility is developing a Pedestrian Safety Program. Apparently, the program’s first phase is to be inaugurated on October 15, by actually enforcing existing regulations that prohibit parking in crosswalks, bus stops, fire hydrants, and too close to intersections. Duh! Shouldn’t this have been happening all along? Let’s hope enforcement will also extend to illegal parking in Handicap Parking spaces and blocking driveways, for which regulations also exist.
This well-intentioned, belated enforcement effort will certainly improve safety, probably more for motorists than pedestrians. Hoboken’s pedestrians are more of a hazard to themselves than any parked vehicle. Absorbed with their I-Pods or yakking on cell phones many of our pedestrians lurch unconsciously into crosswalks against the light; they jaywalk; they pop from between parked cars to cross in the middle of the block; they walk in front of turning vehicles while the driver is looking away. They do every dumb pedestrian trick you can think of. These culprits endanger themselves. Why are they not held accountable for their stupid behavior?
No mention of enforcement of pedestrian regulations was noted in the article. Will whoever is developing the Pedestrian Safety Program also address the “pedestrian” aspect of the problem? Does the Hoboken Parking Utility have authority to enforce pedestrian regulations? If not, who does?
Does anyone know if this is a serious “safety” initiative, in which case it is to be lauded, or is it just another cash cow for our debt-ridden city?
Hobo Ken