Business Employees Willing to Walk Can Get Big Parking Discount

Fifty downtown employees can reduce their cost of daily parking by signing up next month to park in a deeply discounted lot at the corner of Valley and Third streets. For that privilege, they will walk two or three blocks on average to their workplaces.

As of January 1, the already reduced price of employee parking at the lot on Valley and Third will be reduced even more — to $10 per month for full-time employees and $5 a month for part-timers.  That’s half the current cost.

Executive Director Mark Hartwyk said the new rates will be effective Jan. 1, as a way to make parking more affordable, especially for those earning lower wages.

“It’s a way to reward them” for parking a little further from their workplaces, he said.

The change also creates incentive to save the closest downtown parking for shoppers.

The SOPA Board of Commissioners passed a resolution allowing the new discount in October. Employee parking permit renewals will take place between December 15 and January 6.  Any downtown employee, no matter their current permit, can apply for the lot at Valley and Third.

Current rates at Valley and Third for full-time employees are:  $20/month, $60/quarter, $100/semi and $180/annual. The new full-time rates will be: $10/month, $30/quarter, $60/semi, and $120/annual.

Current rates for part-time employees are: $10/month, $30/quarter, $50/semi and $90/annual. The new part-time rates will be: $5/month, $15/quarter, $30/semi and $60/annual.

Elsewhere in town, annual employee parking is $300.

Parking hours at the Valley and Third lot is 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Late-working employees may remain beyond the 6 p.m. limit, but no car can stay in the lot over night.

More information can be found on the Parking Authority’s website.  You can contact them by e-mailing SOPA@southorange.org or by calling (973) 378-7715.