Hoboken Introduces Late-Night Parking Fees To Tackle $13M Budget Gap

Hoboken will start charging visitors for late-night weekend parking. The city faces a $13 million budget gap. A projected 19% municipal tax increase looms. The new fees will apply from 9 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday nights at the same rate as daytime hours.

Drivers will pay 75 cents per 15 minutes in the business district. Paid parking had ended at 9 p.m. before the change. Officials hunt for ways to raise revenue.

“It is best practice to have the meters turned on while you still have a lot of businesses that are operating,” said parking director Ryan Sharp, according to News 12 New Jersey. “You will still generate turnover.”

Sharp says 80% of the drivers who park during those times are visitors. Residents won’t pay the late-night charges, but a yearly permit has climbed from $61 to $95.

The city expects $300,000 from the change this year. The new fees arrive as the municipality works to close its budget shortfall.

“Hoboken has the second-highest vehicle density in the entire state of New Jersey,” Sharp said. “Resident parking permits are oversold by a three-to-one ratio on many blocks in Hoboken.”

Not everyone thinks the plan will work. Stephanie, a Jersey City resident who works in Hoboken, voiced concerns about the impact on local commerce.

“I think we’re going to get a lot less foot traffic,” Stephanie said. “It may not work out!”

The fees took effect as the city looks for solutions to its financial problems. Local businesses rely on weekend visitors during evening hours.

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