8/23/2010:
Parking Robots on Washington Street
30 months since the previous Dave Roberts administration began testing more “streamlined” parking solutions on Washington Street, the city will be rolling out one phase of new “cutting edge” parking meters this week from Observer Highway to Eighth St (on the east side).
In this particular setup, one single parking “brain” is on the center of the block, where you pay for a designated amount of time (up to two hours via credit card or coins) and place the receipt on your dashboard. The city claims some benefits are that you can use the time you bought at any of the available spaces, or even share the receipt with other drivers. The city also claims that the non-marked, non-designated parking scheme will add a couple more spaces per block.

Multiple concerns from residents
However, many readers sent in emails over the weekend with some legitimate concerns about the new system.
Parking Fiasco coming soon
Reader Brian (and several others) are concerned with the mayhem that may result by not having designated spots for each car.
“The new autopay parking system has started on Washington street between 1st and 2nd. I hoped that HPA would use the Jersey City model, in which each space has a small sign with a space number.
Unfortunately it looks like they will not have designated spaces, a la Manhattan and Chicago. Ideally this model may allow maybe two extra cars to squeeze into each block. That is in an ideal world.
Unfortunately what we have already is cars poorly parked using two spaces, and I definitely foresee drunks in SUVs on the weekends trying to squeeze into compact size spaces, to the detriment of the bumpers of the surrounding cars. I sure hope Ian Sachs uses defined parking spots to keep Washington street parking organized.”
411 response: See those bumper badgers for sale on the left sidebar here on 411? Get ‘em while they’re hot!
Computerized system is also susceptible to fraud
411 reader Nick reminds residents to watch out for trickery:
“The city is touting that the new system is automated and fraud-proof. Don’t let anyone fool you into believing that wholeheartedly. Computerized systems are even easier to steal from and alter code. How will the city prove that each cash transaction is captured properly? Who will audit the system? Remember that our entire automated financial system is riddled with hacking and thievery!”
411 response: I’d suspect they’ll have transaction numbers to keep things in check, however, you never know if they have the ability to alter the dollar amount entered on the back end “for the books,” and pocket the difference. You’d have to consult a real fraud expert on that.
Meter Stuffing 2.0?
Finally, reader Cheri wonders if meter stuffing will continue.
“One of the main reasons it’s hard to find parking on the Avenue, is because countless drivers (mostly shop employees) feed the meters all day to keep their perfect spot. From what I was told, these receipts can be shared between drivers, so that must mean that nothing is preventing the same meter stuffing that has plagued the city for years. All this progressive technology should come with improvements that eliminate that loophole. I think those meters they were testing in 2008 had cameras on them and prevented extended parking stays. Oh well.”
411 response: From what I understand is that extended parking both then and now is not allowed. Enforcement is the main issue. It’s possible to check for stuffers using chalk markings on the tires, but the question is does the city have the staff to do it?
What do you think of these new meters?
Hoboken NJ
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