HOBOKEN PARKING UTILITY (HPU) ELIMINATES WAIT LIST AT MUNICIPAL GARAGES
Residents can now enjoy instant access to garage parking
"When I took this job, I was handed a wait list for garages that in some cases was over 200 people and nearly three years long,” said Transportation and Parking Director Ian Sacs “After two years of careful management, organizational changes, and creative thinking from my staff, we can proudly say there is no longer a wait for anyone who wants to park in a municipal garage!”
The HPU manages five municipal parking structures. In 2009, four of five parking facilities had extremely long waiting lists while one was “under-parked.” While some garages have availability limited to certain options, everyone who wishes to park in a municipal garage may now do so.
Corrective actions to eliminate the wait lists included eliminating unauthorized/undocumented parking accounts in an early audit of all facilities, standardizing application and wait list procedures, rigorous tracking of occupancy statistics, creation of new options that better meet the needs of customers, clearer documentation about availability, and re-balancing parking to better match supply and demand throughout all facilities.
One of the most important changes to address the mismatch between supply and demand at municipal garages has been the introduction of the “Monthly Limited” parking option for Hoboken residents. This option is designed for residents who commute with their cars to work each day; they enjoy a 30% discount on the standard rate in return for committing to be out of the garage between 10am and 4pm on weekdays. As of March 2012, about 140 residents are signed up for that option.
This year, the HPU plans to upgrade the elevators and stairwells in all garages and address needed structural improvements, pending City Council approval of a bond ordinance. ◦
