Council Adopts Ordinance Removing Free Parking On Princeton’s Witherspoon Street

PRINCETON, NJ — The Municipal Council on Monday unanimously adopted an ordinance eliminating the free 30-minute parking on Witherspoon Street.

As part of the Witherspoon Street Improvements Project, parking regulations varied along the street. The regulations allowed free 3-minute non-commercial parking within the service lane between Nassau Street and Spring Street during loading times - 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.; free 30-minute parking within the service lane between Nassau Street and Spring Street after loading times and 30-minute metered parking between Spring Street and Wiggins Street.

However, this proved to be a problem.

In a memo to Council, James J. Purcell, P.E., Assistant Municipal Engineer noted that since the enactment of the service lane regulations, use of the service lane by non-commercial vehicles during the loading zone hours restricted the use of it for deliveries to the local businesses, resulting in serious traffic blockages.

Delivery vehicles, service vehicles, and trash collection trucks would then use the travel lane to stop.

“Parking Enforcement operates after 9 a.m. and is unable to enforce the 3-minute parking limit before that time. Between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., it is difficult, as well, to enforce this limit since the enforcement officers cover many streets and cannot monitor the service lane alone. For the same reason, the 30-minute free parking limit is difficult to enforce,” Purcell said in his memo.

“Parking Operations, Parking Enforcement, the Police, and the Traffic Safety Committee have concluded that a consistent parking regulation for Witherspoon Street is needed. Staff also met with the business community and Experience Princeton and it was agreed that changes were needed, although a consensus on the specific changes was not achieved. A variety of options was considered and staff and the Traffic Safety Committee concluded that a 90-minute parking allowance through the corridor was the best solution.”

The newly adopted ordinance will:

• No longer permit the three-minute non-commercial vehicle parking.
• Designate the service lane between Nassau Street and Spring Street as a Loading Zone Only between 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays.
• Prohibit the use of the service lane by non-commercial vehicles between 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays.
• Allow parking in the service lane from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays and from 6 a.m. on Sundays to 2 a.m. on Mondays.

“There is 30-minute parking over in the two-lane yard as well as free 30-minute parking in the garage. So those quick runs in and out of businesses can be accommodated by those parking locations,” Deputy Administrator and Municipal Engineer Deanna Stockton said.

Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros thanked Experience Princeton and the local business community for creating a forum and getting community feedback before enacting the change through the ordinance.

Parking Operations will install two pay stations in appropriate locations adjacent to the service lane between Nassau Street and Spring Street to accommodate the new metered parking regulation.

The 30-minute parking will remain along Spring Street and South Tulane Street, and in Palmer Square.

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