Paterson expanding residential permit parking to two more streets
By Jayed Rahman
Published: April 14, 2020
After piloting a residential permit parking system in two streets in the Eastside neighborhood years ago, municipal officials are expanding the program to a residential part of downtown Paterson.
No one will be allowed to park on Paterson Street between Memorial Drive and Governor Street and Tyler Street between Ann Street and Bridge Street without a parking permit.
Councilman Michael Jackson said he has received complaints from area residents that businesses were taking over parking spaces for prolonged period of time. He said businesses were parking dilapidated, unregistered vehicles on the streets at the expense of area residents.
Jackson’s measure is unusual in that it imposes permit-only parking for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The 2016 pilot initiative that was rolled out in the two Eastside section streets — East 38th Street and East 39th Street – curved out time windows (pictured) for permit parking. Non-permit holders could not park on Friday 5 p.m. to Saturday 8 a.m. and Saturday 5 p.m. to Monday 8 a.m.
Jackson said the 24-hour permit-only parking is needed for residents who come home from work at 2 or 3 o’clock. Both streets lack parking during the day time. Some residents over the past years have said students of the Passaic County Community College park on Paterson Street.
“We need parking during those hours,” Jackson recalled residents telling him.
Violators will face a penalty and their vehicles will be towed.
When asked what happens when a vehicle is making a quick delivery and decides to park temporarily in one of the two streets, Jackson said, “There’s such a lack of enforcement that someone will have to call up.” He said it is unlikely that police will be there standing-by to write tickets and tow cars.
Jackson said he does not anticipate people being ticketed and towed for temporarily parking in the permit-only zone to make deliveries, such as DoorDash, due to lax enforcement.
Vote on April 14
Council members urged mayor Andre Sayegh’s administration to expand residential parking throughout the city on Tuesday, April 14.
“We need to see more residential permit parking,” said councilman Al Abdelaziz. He said Clifton motorists are taking up parking spaces in Paterson. “We know we have a parking problem.”
Councilman Shahin Khalique wanted the administration to conduct a survey of parking in the city to expand the residential parking system.
Council members passed the measure in a 8-0 vote on Tuesday night.
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Updated April 15 at 11:35 a.m.