Hoboken Businesses Blast City's Plan To Catch Double-Parkers On Camera

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken plans to implement a system next month to catch illegally parked vehicles using automated cameras, but not everyone's on board.

The system will take pictures of people parked in bus lanes, bike lanes, and loading zones on the lower half of the main street, Washington Street.

The images will be reviewed by staff from the Hoboken Parking Utility, who will determine whether the person should get a summons. Citations will be mailed.

The system will rely on cameras that were authorized by the Hoboken City Council in 2024, the city said.

The cameras will be placed on Washington Street, between Observer Highway and Eighth Street.

But business owners who came to the city's council meeting on Wednesday night were concerned.

Store Owners Concerned

Ernie Reyes, the owner of Ace Hardware on Washington Street, said he has worked there since he was 8, and the store has served the community since 1931.

He said that because of bumpouts, EV fueling stations, and other changes, there are only five parking spots left on his side of the road. He said that if people are afraid to stop briefly in front of a business, independent stores won't be able to survive.

"There's a reduction in customer accessibility to stores, and this will kill Washington Street," he said. "There's been no public comment. Business owners have not been informed at all."

He said Hoboken is getting expensive for people as it is. "It is very hard to live here," he said.

Several others echoed his sentiments.

The city said the program, Camera-based License plate Enforcement for Access & Response (CLEAR), is part of Vision Zero, an initiative meant to keep Hoboken's streets safe.

Hoboken has gone more than seven years without a traffic death.

The city said it recently conducted a public survey of Hoboken residents and stakeholders to assess their concerns about illegal parking.

The city noted, "Respondents ... submitted dozens of comments echoing these concerns, with many noting that double parked vehicles obstruct sightlines at crosswalks, force delivery trucks into bike lanes, and significantly increase the risk of crashes."

Council Balks

Council members Tiffanie Fisher and Paul Presinzano suggested that the city "take a pause" because not enough segments of the population were consulted on the plan, including seniors.

Presinzano said there were enough empty storefronts on Washington Street already, and that he had previously thought the program would pertain just to loading zones.

"We get this jammed down our throats on a Friday at 5 p.m.," Presinzano said. "All we're asking for is that we take some time to implement this but do it the right way. You can't get people's attention in one week."

Councilman Ruben Ramos said he had objected to the program when it had come up for a vote in May 2024.

Find out more here: hobokennj.gov/automated-enforcement