I can see it making sense only for the blocks surrounding the Light Rail - that makes total sense. But that's only a small fraction of the Heights.

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New York Avenue and surrounding streets are zoned parking because people park there and walk to the Hoboken Light Rail Elevator. Believe it or not, many people also do drive to the Heights in Jersey City and park on the side streets along Kennedy Blvd and catch the bus to midtown. Many of these people are ex-Jersey City residents who drive in from the suburb for which they left Jersey City. There was a time when it didn't make much of a difference, but that time is past and something needs to be done. Too many people in this city these days.

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This is correct. I've been researching and working with my community near SPU to assess whether our blocks closest to SPU are in need of zoned hours to better protect resident parking space. We're still exploring it, but the major issue of serious lack of enough street parking to go around for those who live here will still exist even if zoning is put through. So we're trying to determine if limited zoning will get us enough "wins" in preventing those attending and working at SPU from parking on our streets, or if we really won't see much of an impact due to sheer lack of space available for the car density that exists here. We've had residents rail against zoning and who truly consider a $15 annual fee for a permit a "parking tax". Some of these detractors are also people breaking the law by keeping out of state plates illegally, as they cannot get a permit with an out of state plate. So of course they will oppose it. Be prepared for this opposition.

Installing zoning has to correlate to a trackable problem with outsiders routinely coming in to park for purposes of commuting, or to regularly attend universities and the like. It will not solve or even improve the sheer inadequacy of enough street parking which is what sounds like is the true issue in the Heights. I doubt anyone is parking it in the Heights to catch a bus to NYC (though maybe I am wrong), for example.

Another thing is that there is no limit on the number of vehicle permits a residence can acquire. Whereas Hoboken has an incremental cost increase for buying a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. permit per/household - JC does not. Hoboken's fee structure encourages households to think about how many cars they have, and perhaps decentivise them from having multiple or excessive vehicles. This is a huge problem in JC, IMHO.

Another issue, depending on your point of view, is that homes or buildings with under 5 units that have any off-street parking onsite are not prohibited from getting street permits. I personally find this outrageous. As it is written now, if your reside in a building with 5 or more units and off-street parking is provided (even if there's a fee to it), you are not eligible for a street permit unless you can prove that lot is full and you can't get a space in there. I'd love to see this adjusted from "5 units or more" to be any sized property with off-street parking because a lot of abuse is happening with buildings under 5 units that have off-street parking space but who are able to get street permits, even though they have the option to park off-street. This also may be happening in the Heights.

Here are some example of how this "under 5 units" work-around can be a problem, and we've seen many real instances of this. We know of a guy in a zoned area with a 3 story home - maybe it has 2-4 residences/apt. in it including his. He has a small parking lot behind the house that fits like 5-8 cars. But he has chosen not to park his household's 3 vehicles back in this lot. Rather he pays a measly $45/year to permit his households THREE cars, which he then street parks. Then he rents out the spots behind his home for $100/month per car. We doubt the legality of the space rental factor as he's essentially running a business (we suspect there are many other examples of this city-wide). However, the current law does not prevent him from acquiring street parking and thus he can get away with this. I also know homeowners that have driveways, and either choose not to use them and use zoned street parking instead. They feel its their right to do so as a tax payer. There is also that former issue with no limits set on #/permits per household. So say you have a driveway for 2 cars that you use, but you are a 4-5 car household (we know of one with NINE cars over a few units). They fill up the driveway with 3 cars, then take up 6 street space.

So the Heights folks should really study this. I don't see how zoning will help them given its not a commuter hub part of JC. But I think what will be of more help to all of us city-wide, and make street parking a tiny bit more equitable, would be to restructure the permit cost (similar to Hoboken) and allocation per household, and revising the way building with 4 or less units and off-street parking are handled. Additionally, a crack-down on residents with out of state plates has to happen. These are things I think that we as residents city-wide could push for.

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The idea is to keep commuters who live far from convenient public transport, JC residents or not, from street parking in an area closer to that transport. Which is why the zones are concentrated Downtown and in JS. And why they all expire in the late afternoon.

Anyone know how the existing zones were formed? Street cleaning schedule?

Why wouldn't you start from the premise that if you're a JC resident with a valid sticker, you can park anywhere resident parking is permitted in JC? Why make it zone-based, or ward-based?

So it sounds like they're using the wrong tool to solve a "normal" condition of tight parking. Zone parking is to solve a 'commuter" problem, not a overnight parking problem, since all zone parking expires after working hours to allow visitors. The most likely result of what Heights described as desired is simply forcing residents who haven't changed their licences and registration to local to do so, and nothing will change except it will be a huge PITA to visit the Heights at any time.

The idea of completing the rest of Ward D in the Heights with zoned parking came from Ward D council member Michael Yun. During his campaign, Michael heard through the voters a need for zoned parking for various reasons from out of towners parking in order to take mass transit to those with out of state plates parking in our area. Michael Yun is visiting all of the neighborhood associations in Ward D for their input.
At the Nelson Ave. meeting, some brought up extending the time due to the parking problem being an afterhours problem. Others mentioned expanding the period from two to 4 hours. Another suggestion would be that all residents should have parking stickers and therefore would be permitted to park over night those that are not residents will not be allowed to park on Jersey City streets past a curfew hour.
These are just various ideas being thrown around for a future discussion at a possible community meeting for the entire Ward D area. Eventually the Ward D councilperson will have to present a petition to table this idea for a vote by the city council.

I would still love to know why Michael Yun thinks zoning is necessary in the entire Heights area.

It seems that Michael Yun was not scheduled to speak specifically about this issue at this monthly meeting. He was invited to attend as our Ward council member to listen to his constituent's concerns. If there is time left after the regular Nelson Ave. Neighborhood Association's order of business is conducted and invited guests speakers have finished their talk then the Ward D council member may discuss the parking issue with those in attendance.

Yeah, I don't understand why he thinks this is necessary in the Heights at all.

Not all new buildings have their own parking. A very dense, 87 micro unit buidling is planned for the corner of Bright and Varick, across the street from PS 3/ MS4 with no parking. That corner was the trailer lot for PS 3 spillover, currently used for parking. That area is a parking nightmare as it is.

Why do this? Parking in my area of the Heights isn't too bad. During the day, you can get a parking space withing a 1 block radius of my apartment. Parking is only a problem late at night when pretty much everyone comes home. It isn't an issue with non-residents taking up parking spaces.


Recent high density construction hasn't affected street parking since the new buildings have their own parking garages.

Imagine if the number of permits to be issued was based on your street property line - If the width of your property can accommodate 2 car spots then that's all you get which are free .... wouldn't that be fair but drive everyone nuts? Any application for further permits should be extremely expensive; which in turn will help reduce cars DT.

Has he explained why? Is there an issue with non Heights resident commuter parking? Are people really driving to the Heights to catch a bus?

Please keep us posted on what types of zoning (hours, days, etc.) he proposes. My understanding is that he will have to get a strong majority of residents to support his proposal via petition in order to present this.

The new councilman of Ward D Michael Yun wants to make the entire area of J.C. Heights in Ward D zoned parking. The councilman will appear at the Nelson Ave. Block Association monthly neighborhood meeting Tuesday September 24th at 7pm in the St. Annes auditorium to hear the reaction on the zoned parking proposal. Please pass the word on this "sudden" announcement.
St. Anne's auditorium: 3545 John F Kennedy Blvd
meeting located on Congress St. between Kennedy Blvd. and Nelson Ave.