We'll Ban Parking Enforcement Cameras In Hoboken, Say 2 Council Members

HOBOKEN, NJ — On the same day as Hoboken was set to begin catching parking scofflaws with automatic cameras, two City Council members said they'll introduce legislation to ban the practice.

Mayor Ravi Bhalla announced two weeks ago that Hoboken's new CLEAR system would catch parking violations on lower Washington Street, the business district, especially people double parking and parking in loading zones.

But the measure has sparked debate among residents and business owners.

Shop owners say parking is already difficult there, and that some customers or deliverers need to double park briefly.

On Wednesday, Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, who's running for mayor, said that she and Councilman Paul Presinzano will introduce legislation to amend Hoboken’s municipal code to prohibit automated parking enforcement cameras citywide.

They intend to introduce the measure at next Wednesday's meeting.

"Residents and small businesses are rightfully upset about the rollout of these cameras, which happened without council approval or community input,” said Fisher. “The council voted 18 months ago to collect data to explore better parking solutions — including 15-minute parking stops on Washington Street and additional loading zones — not to launch automated ticketing."

She added, "Mayor Bhalla exploited a loophole in our laws to turn a data pilot into a cash-grab enforcement scheme.”

Fisher acknowledged that double parking is a safety concern, but said residents and small businesses sometimes depend on it.

Earlier on Thursday, Councilman Ruben Ramos said in a press release that he will remove the cameras if he's elected mayor.

The city has said that CLEAR is a "Vision Zero initiative that aims to improve safety, reduce illegal parking, improve access to loading zones for businesses, and ease traffic congestion along Washington Street."

The city's Vision Zero program to make streets more pedestrian friendly has been credited to eliminating traffic deaths in the mile-square city in the past seven years.

Ernie Reyes, the owner of Ace Hardware on Washington Street, said at a council meeting on Sept. 17 that if people are afraid to stop briefly in front of a business, independent stores won't be able to survive.

READ MORE: Businesses Blast Plan For Automatic Cameras In Hoboken