2 Parking Ordinances On Princeton Council Agenda Tuesday

PRINCETON, NJ — Parking is a hot topic in Princeton, and Tuesday's Council meeting will be dominated by parking-related matters.

During the last meeting, Council introduced an ordinance to increase free parking in the Spring Street Garage from 30 minutes to one hour every day. On Tuesday, there will be a public hearing on the ordinance.

The ordinance will also allow for free parking on certain holidays as well during Phase I of Witherspoon Street Improvement.

Local merchants have complained that the Witherspoon Street improvement work has caused a downturn in business, prompting Council to introduce the ordinance.

The ordinance calls for suspending parking fees for the first hour on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day in 2023. Every hour following that shall be $0.25 on these specific holidays. Meanwhile, on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day in 2022, there will be no parking fees to park at the Spring Street Garage.

In a memo to Council, Deputy Administrator and Municipal Engineer Deanna Stockton estimated a revenue loss of approximately $40,000, based on the revenue report for the Spring Street Garage.

When passed, the ordinance will go into effect immediately until July 31, 2023. On Aug. 1, 2023, the fees will automatically go back to those in effect prior to the ordinance.

The Council will also be introducing another ordinance, establishing a residential parking district on Bank Street.

Bank Street has at least 13 on-street parking spots on the east side that provides free two-hour daytime parking between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

With 39 dwelling units on Bank Street, parking space is limited.

The ordinance proposes to eliminate the two-hour parking on the east side of Bank Street and replace it with 24-hour permit parking for residents of Bank Street only.

The parking spots will be available to residents without off-street parking through an annual lottery. The permits are not transferable. When passed, the ordinance will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.

Meanwhile, Municipal Engineer JimPurcell will be making an updated presentation on parking and loading zones on the reconfigured Witherspoon Street between Nassau and Spring Street. This will be followed by a work session led by Stockton on residential permit parking int he Witherspoon Jackson and Tree Street neighborhoods.

The Council meeting will be held in person, at the Main Council Room, 400 Witherspoon Street.

Those who can’t attend the in-person meeting can tune in via ZOOM. Click here for the agenda packet.

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