OTHER NEWS
Dozens of new parking spaces created
to accommodate downtown shoppers.
More than 75 new parking meters have been installed along downtown Main Street to accommodate the increased need for street parking in the city’s main shopping district.
“It’s a concerted effort to bring the people closer to the stores in the downtown area,” said Tony Perez, director of the Paterson Parking Authority. Towards the end of November, the authority installed the meters, following requests from area merchants.
“It’s something the merchants have asked for every year,” said Sheri Ferreira, director of the Downtown Paterson Special Improvement District. This year with mayor Jose “Joey” Torres the merchants got their wish.
Torres said there is an effort to revitalize the downtown by not only offering discounted parking to local shoppers, but also refitting the top floors of the retail establishments to potentially attract members of millennial generation. Millennial, a sought demographic group of young people, who prefer to dwell in cities as opposed to the suburbs, are breathing new life into dying cities throughout the United States.
Ferreira said the meters, just steps outside of retail establishments, adds an added advantage for area merchants. She said a store owner will now be able to tell his customers they can park right outside the store.
“Those stores are the type of stores that sell $5 to $10 pieces of merchandise,” said Ferreira. “To have a customer go to a parking lot to pay $4 or $3 for the first hour of parking is just not fair to merchants that are selling products that are $5 to $10.”
With a few quarters customers will be able to park for a whole hour in front of their favorite store, said Perez.
The additional meters along the avenue has increased traffic problems in the downtown, a problem Perez said the authority is working to address. He also said loading and unloading issues have emerged, another issue the authority is working to address.
There are also questions of whether the authority has the power to install meters on a county road.
“Although it is a county road, we’ve never gone to the county for permission because, as far as I understand, the municipality controls the road,” said Perez. “It’s a city road and the municipality has control over city roads,” said Perez.
He said the authority has permission to install meters on city roads from the council through an ordinance that was passed some time ago.
Perez said Main Street in downtown has never had meters for decades save for a small portion between Smith and Ward Streets. That small section was rendered free of meters during the first year of mayor Jeffery Jones’ reign in office. Several businesses shut down as a result.
Merchants and officials are hoping the meters will help revitalize the downtown. To some extent the meters have begun to bring more people into downtown stores.
“What I do notice now when I walk up and down Main Street is people getting in and out of their cars with shopping bags,” said Ferreira. She said the meters make the street more shopper friendly and provide convenient parking for customers.
“The vibrancy is starting to come back,” added Perez.
Council seeks to free up parking along the side of city hall for residents.
November 15, 2014 by Jayed Rahman
An ordinance before the city council seeks to free up a block of parking along the side of the city hall. The ordinance introduced by Kenneth Morris, councilman at-large, repeals a 2010 ordinance that created restricted parking spaces for council members on the Washington Street side of the city hall building.
“For years, if not decades, that has always been public parking,” said Morris. If passed, the ordinance will free up approximately five parking spaces. Parking meters will be installed on each of the spaces to allow residents to feed the meters and park their vehicles.
“We use that spot over there,” said Ruby Cotton, 4th Ward councilwoman.
“Council has parking in the council lot,” argued Morris. “This parking should be returned to the public.”
Members of the council have a parking lot that sits behind the city hall building. Most council members park inside the lot; however, some do park along Washington Street.
“I park there almost every day,” said Cotton.
“I use it every time I get a chance,” added Anthony Davis, 1st Ward councilman.
Cotton suggested the city return some of the spaces and keep at least two. “Don’t take the whole block up,” said Cotton.
Davis, Cotton, Mohammed Akhtaruzzaman, 2nd Ward councilman, park on the location during council deliberations.
“Folks have been asking for this for a long time,” said Morris.
“I haven’t heard anyone but Ms. Muhammad,” said Davis.
Waheedah Muhammad, former school board member, who avidly attends council meetings, has scolded council members during multiple occasions for greedily taking up street parking, when they have an entire lot to park in.
Cotton suggested the city free up two parking spaces inside the council’s lot to make up for the spaces that are being freed up. “Let’s take those two spots the mayor has in that lot,” said Cotton. “We need those two spaces inside that lot.”
Morris said former mayor Jeffery Jones illegally took those two spots. Julio Tavarez, 5th Ward councilman, directed the city clerk to send a communication to the administration to recapture the two spots that were taken.
“I think we should give the whole four spaces back to the community,” said Alex Mendez, councilman at-large. “We have a lot of issues in terms of parking. Tax payers are constantly looking for space to get into city hall.”
ATTRACTIONS AT THE PATERSON PARKING AUTHORITY’S
PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX GARAGE
125 BROADWAY SUITE 100 PATERSON, NJ 07505
ATTRACTIONS AND HOURS OF OPERATION
CITY NATIONAL BANK
SUITE 101
Monday thru Thursday 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Friday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
PCCC BOOKSTORE
Passaic County Community College
SUITE 104
Monday thru Wednesday 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Thursday 9:00 AM – 7:30 PM
Friday 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
SUBWAY RESTAURANT
SUITE 105
Monday thru Friday 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Saturday & Sunday 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
MOTOR VEHICLE REGIONAL OFFICE
SUITE 201
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Tuesday 8:00 AM – 7:30 PM
Saturday 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
SUSPENSION AND RESTORATION HOURS
Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM