Double-Parkers In Belleville Beware: Police Ramp Up Enforcement Effort

BELLEVILLE, NJ — If you’re a frequent “double-parker” on Washington Avenue, you may save yourself a ticket by taking some extra time to find a legitimate space, authorities announced Thursday.

According to a social media post from the Belleville Police Department: “Please be advised that our patrol and traffic divisions will be strictly enforcing double-parking violations, especially along the length of Washington Avenue.”

“Please be considerate of your fellow neighbors and businesses,” police stated.

The announcement spurred a flurry of comments from local residents. Seen online:

• “That is great. Some people think that is a legal parking spot for them. It is all about them and the heck with anyone else.”
• “About time. The double-parking on Washington is beyond ridiculous.”
• “Absolutely on side streets people just stop and do what they need and they block the whole flow of traffic.”
• “Near the post office and across the street has been a nightmare and is getting worse. The daycare parents don’t give a crap and block the crosswalks too. Try coming up Essex Street towards Washington, you can’t even see. Hit the gas and pray.”
• “Dealing with it every day on the corner with Washington Avenue, not just double-parking but parking on the yellow and blocking my business’ driveway constantly, all day long … when asked to move drivers get nasty.”

At least one resident asked if more parking decks in the township could help.

“How about the town builds parking decks near the busy sections of Washington Avenue?” they wrote. “You want to build all of these apartment buildings to bring more people into town and our schools, but do absolutely nothing about the logistics of all that for parking and traffic.”

Other Belleville residents said enforcement is needed at more parking hotspots in town. They included:

• “This is great news! The double-parking in Union Avenue is also dangerous!”
• “Do it at the schools! Lazy parents double-parking make dangerous crossing conditions! It’s out of control!”
• “Academy Street is notorious for double-parking; this is a residential street, no commercial traffic should be parking down the center of this narrow one-way street. Emergency vehicles only.”

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