The Hoboken City Council voted on the potential elimination of free Sunday parking in some Hoboken business areas on Wednesday, September 4th. After voting to introduce the ordinance at the August City Council meeting, a public hearing and final vote took place last night at 7PM. The City Council voted to adopt the ordinance — limiting the elimination of free parking to Washington Street — but it will need to pass a second vote before it becomes official. Currently, parking is free for both residents and visitors on Sundays in certain Hoboken areas. Read on for more details about this proposed change to the Hoboken parking rules.
The Details
Currently, Hoboken’s free Sunday parking applies to certain business areas in the Mile Square, where both residents and visitors can park in available visitor parking spots as well as metered spots. These areas are vaguely defined as “areas of the city that have, or are in close proximity to, a high concentration of retail or commercial uses on the ground floor,” per Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher’s newsletter sent out on Tuesday, September 3rd. There are a few exceptions to this — everything you need to know about free Sunday parking can be found in our article here.
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The proposed change would eliminate free parking in some of these Hoboken business areas, but the exact areas that would be affected were unclear before last night’s City Council meeting. Councilwoman Fisher mentioned that she had advocated for amending the ordinance to clearly specify the areas it pertains to, or removing this provision altogether, before the final vote.
Hoboken Councilman Phil Cohen provided the following statement to HG ahead of the vote:
“This vote is one element of a package of adjustments to Hoboken’s parking rates, many of which have remained unchanged for years. Hoboken’s long-serving Parking and Transportation Director Ryan Sharp identified these issues for the consideration of the City Council’s Parking and Transportation Subcommittee.
Many of Hoboken’s businesses in our business district are open for business on Sundays. So, by having a policy of free parking in our business district, the City encouraged visitors to use our business district as an all-day, Sunday free parking zone, rather than promoting the normal turnover of convenient customer parking to service our businesses, which regular metered parking provides.
Members of the Parking and Transportation subcommittee believed that it was not only a business-friendly idea to allow for Sunday metered parking in our business district, but it was also helpful for the City to have this additional revenue source to help offset and reduce future tax increases.”
Hoboken Councilwoman Emily Jabbour also provided a statement ahead of the vote:
“The Transportation Subcommittee has been working diligently with the Administration to come up with ways to modernize our parking systems, and I am happy to have worked with Councilman Presinzano to find ways to enhance parking opportunities in Hoboken without creating additional burden on taxpayers”
Marilyn Bear, the City of Hoboken’s Communications Manager, provided the following statement ahead of the vote:
“The City of Hoboken, in partnership with the Hoboken City Council Transportation & Parking subcommittee, has introduced a comprehensive package of adjustments to parking fees, including the elimination of free parking on Sundays in certain business areas. With several businesses open on Sundays, the updated fees will encourage increased turnover of parking spaces, making it easier for more customers to access local businesses. These changes will also help ensure that parking rates, which have remained largely unchanged for many years, keep pace with the rising costs the City incurs due to inflation and other expenses such as maintaining and upgrading our parking garages and transportation infrastructure”
The vote took place on Wednesday, September 4th at 7PM at Hoboken City Hall. Marilyn Bear shared with HG that the City Council adopted the ordinance with a 7-2 vote, and that the Council also introduced an amendment that would further clarify the Sunday meter rates in the business district to be limited to Washington Street. The amendment will need to pass a second vote before it becomes official, and should take place at the next City Council meeting. Councilmembers Cohen, Doyle, Jabbour, Presinzano, Quintero, Ramos, Jr., and Giattino voted yes to the ordinance, while Councilmembers Fisher and Russo voted no.
The packet with meeting specifics can be found here, and residents can view the live stream of the meeting on YouTube.
The Hoboken Girl has reached out to the City as well as each Hoboken City Council member and will update this post with any additional comments.
Other Parking Updates
There may be a few other changes coming to Hoboken parking soon, per Councilwoman Fisher’s newsletter. The City is considering the following items:
- Monthly garage + lot rate increases: Most monthly garage and lot rates are set to increase by $6-$9 per month for all users, including residents and businesses. Additionally, automatic CPI (Consumer Price Index) increases will be applied going forward.
- Visitor pass fee increases: The cost of visitor passes is set to rise from $4 to $6 for four hours, and from $6 to $9 for a 24-hour period.
- New parking permits for unregistered vehicles: A new provision allows residents whose vehicles are not registered in Hoboken to obtain a street parking permit for $700 per year (previously not permitted).
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Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla Announces He Will Not Run for Re-Election
After two terms of serving as Hoboken's Mayor since 2017, Ravi Bhalla announced he will not run for re-election for a third term this November. Mayor Bhalla sent out the following statement to Hoboken locals on Friday, January 10th, 2025 to announce the news.
Photo Credit: City of Hoboken
"I write to first and foremost wish you and your family a Happy New Year! 2024 was a year of tremendous progress for Hoboken, which I know we will continue in the New Year.
Serving as your Mayor these past seven years has been and will continue to be the privilege of my lifetime. I am immensely proud of the historic improvements we’ve made together on everything from securing the former Union Dry Dock site for public use, creating a model for pedestrian safety through our Vision Zero campaign, opening what is likely the country’s largest resiliency park at ResilienCity Park, and so much more.
After conversations with my family, I have decided not to run for re-election this November for a third term as Mayor. While I plan to pursue public service through a different path, I wanted to let you know that 2025 will be my last year as Mayor of our great City.
I’m more than confident about the future of Hoboken, and the path our team has paved for whomever is elected as your next leader. Our waterfront is now, once and for all, free from development. We have adopted redevelopment plans that maintain the charm and character of our City, while providing needed revitalization. We’ve preserved over 10 acres of land for public parkland, without sacrificing major concessions. And we have continued a model of transparency for major city projects, that I am fully confident the public will press for going forward.
Fortunately, Hoboken is home to a number of talented public servants and activists, and I have no doubt that the future is bright. I also have full faith that the voters of Hoboken will select a trusted leader to bring our City to even greater heights in the years ahead.
From the bottom of my heart, I want to extend my gratitude for the trust and confidence you have placed in me. It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve as the Mayor of Hoboken, and I'm confident in the coming years, the best is yet to come.
Sincerely,
Ravi Bhalla
Mayor"
Mayor Bhalla also announced the news via Instagram. See the full post below.
View this post on Instagram
Back in December of 2023, Mayor Bhalla announced his run for Congress in New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District in the Democratic Primary. His opponent was Democrat Rob Menendez, son of Senator Bob Menendez. Menedez won the election.
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