Maplewood Village Alliance Wants Paid Parking in the Village

In some of the questions seeking narrative responses, I wrote that I opposed "paid parking". Maybe it wasn't exactly responsive, but so what?

From the alliance’s article: “Today, most public parking in Maplewood Village is free but subject to time limits. While intended to encourage turnover, this system depends largely on enforcement after violations occur.”

Doesn’t paid parking also depend on enforcement for turnover? What makes the expiration of a meter, without consistent enforcement, a greater deterrent than the expiration of a free-parking time limit?

The alliance also wrote: “Research, including recommendations contained in Maplewood’s 2023 Master Plan and established transportation planning best practices, indicates that appropriately managed paid parking can increase turnover, improve customer access, reduce unnecessary traffic created by drivers searching for parking, and make better use of existing public infrastructure.”

If the Master Plan says anything about paid parking, or research supporting it, I can’t find it. (Recommendations are listed in Chapter 4 under a section titled “Improve the efficiency of existing and future parking resources.”)

DaveSchmidt said:

From the alliance’s article: “Today, most public parking in Maplewood Village is free but subject to time limits. While intended to encourage turnover, this system depends largely on enforcement after violations occur.”

Doesn’t paid parking also depend on enforcement for turnover? What makes the expiration of a meter, without consistent enforcement, a greater deterrent than the expiration of a free-parking time limit?

The alliance also wrote: “Research, including recommendations contained in Maplewood’s 2023 Master Plan and established transportation planning best practices, indicates that appropriately managed paid parking can increase turnover, improve customer access, reduce unnecessary traffic created by drivers searching for parking, and make better use of existing public infrastructure.”

If the Master Plan says anything about paid parking, or research supporting it, I can’t find it. (Recommendations are listed in Chapter 4 under a section titled “Improve the efficiency of existing and future parking resources.”)

Page 96 of that document highlights a parking management issue that the store owners can address: "However, the Township has performed some analysis of merchant parking utilization and found that it is underutilized. Better education for businesses and wayfinding for merchant parking are possible and encouraged. Some employees are not using merchant parking and are parking in public areas, moving their cars around as needed to meet time limits."

This is the closest thing I could find in Chapter 4 that is a recommendation for paid parking:

"Explore the potential to create a Parking Benefit District, where merchants/property owners could share in some of the revenue through streetscape improvements or other local enhancements."

I had to look up what a parking benefit district is: a defined geographic area where on-street parking meter or permit revenues are funneled directly back into local neighborhood improvements rather than the city's general fund.

Does anyone know how the parking authority track car parking?  I'm just curious - they used to use chalk back in the day.  In general - I hate parking meters - one great perk for Maplewood.

jamie said:

Does anyone know how the parking authority track car parking?  I'm just curious - they used to use chalk back in the day.  In general - I hate parking meters - one great perk for Maplewood.

don't know how they track these days. Just responding as I am with you on meters. I hate them. Those apps are so confusing. Sometimes it takes me longer to figure out how to pay than it does to do whatever business I need to do. I am thinking of a quick prescription pick up at the vet in south orange, that kind of thing. They are enforcement demons in South Orange and I know if I don't pay I will definitely get a ticket.

HatsOff said:

jamie said:

Does anyone know how the parking authority track car parking?  I'm just curious - they used to use chalk back in the day.  In general - I hate parking meters - one great perk for Maplewood.

don't know how they track these days. Just responding as I am with you on meters. I hate them. Those apps are so confusing. Sometimes it takes me longer to figure out how to pay than it does to do whatever business I need to do. I am thinking of a quick prescription pick up at the vet in south orange, that kind of thing. They are enforcement demons in South Orange and I know if I don't pay I will definitely get a ticket.

The proposal published by the Maplewood Village Alliance in fall of 2025 recommended license plate recognition (LPR) technology and mobile apps (e.g., ParkMobile).

https://villagegreennj.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MVA-Paid-Parking-Memo-TC.pdf

yahooyahoo said:

The proposal published by the Maplewood Village Alliance in fall of 2025 recommended license plate recognition (LPR) technology and mobile apps (e.g., ParkMobile).

https://villagegreennj.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MVA-Paid-Parking-Memo-TC.pdf

From the alliance’s article today: “The objective is not to maximize revenue, but to maximize parking availability and improve access to local businesses and community destinations.”

From that September proposal: “By adopting a technology-supported paid parking system … the Township can significantly enhance the Village’s accessibility, generate substantial revenue, and better serve the needs of merchants, residents, and visitors alike.”

That proposal goes on to suggest directing half the conservatively estimated $800,000 to $1 million in annual revenue to the alliance and its programs.

DaveSchmidt said:

yahooyahoo said:

The proposal published by the Maplewood Village Alliance in fall of 2025 recommended license plate recognition (LPR) technology and mobile apps (e.g., ParkMobile).

https://villagegreennj.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MVA-Paid-Parking-Memo-TC.pdf

From the alliance’s article today: “The objective is not to maximize revenue, but to maximize parking availability and improve access to local businesses and community destinations.”

From that September proposal: “By adopting a technology-supported paid parking system … the Township can significantly enhance the Village’s accessibility, generate substantial revenue, and better serve the needs of merchants, residents, and visitors alike.”

That proposal goes on to suggest directing half the conservatively estimated $800,000 to $1 million in annual revenue to the alliance and its programs.

Using their numbers from the 2025 proposal:

The 350 spaces would need to be occupied an average of 6 hours/day for 250 days/years. At $2/hour, this is $1,050,000 in annual revenue.

____________________________________

Parking in South Orange is $0.25 - $1.00 per hour.
Parking in Millburn is $0.25 per 30 minutes.

The MVA proposed a rate that is 2x - 8x the South Orange rate and 4x the Millburn rate to estimate the $1 million in revenue.

yahooyahoo said:

The MVA proposed a rate that is 2x - 8x the South Orange rate and 4x the Millburn rate to estimate the $1 million in revenue.

I should have put “conservatively” in quotation marks to signal that it was the alliance’s description.

yahooyahoo said:

The proposal published by the Maplewood Village Alliance in fall of 2025 recommended license plate recognition (LPR) technology and mobile apps (e.g., ParkMobile).

https://villagegreennj.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MVA-Paid-Parking-Memo-TC.pdf

I guess we"ll be back to cutting our hair at home* like during the pandemic, as ParkMobile to me is a curse and a scourge. I think they make it intentionally confusing to increase the chances of being in violation and thus getting a ticket. I haven't stepped foot in Millburn since getting a huge ticket because I screwed up up on the parking app (can't remember if they use ParkMobile but they're all pretty bad).

* visit to salon is my main reason for going to the village

I am opposed to paid parking in the village.  I am also opposed to push polls which attempt to direct respondents to agree with the survey author's point of view without providing room for respondents proposing other options.  Parking enforcement is clearly an option that would be needed with or without paid parking. Certainly it should be tried before moving to a pay for parking model.  Other options such as more bike racks, making the village more of a walkable destination, looking into park and ride or other public transit options (two town jitney is just one example which is currently being considered), designating a dedicated drop off point (old bus stop once used for the 32 bus and recently converted to parking spaces) is another possible approach.  

Push to create additional multifamily housing in the Village is a contributing factor to what some consider a parking problem in the village as is the trend to create more restaurants in the Village.  Both of these trends contribute to more vehicles and vehicles needing to remain parked for a longer period of time.  

Consideration should be given to the variety of businesses in the Village which have different needs when it comes to a paid parking proposal.  Some businesses may benefit from paid parking but a significant number of businesses will be hurt financially if paid parking is put in place.

The MVA has announced three "public" sessions to be held on 9/12 (Rosh Hashana), 9/19, and 9/26.  However, they are hardly a neutral party in this process.  

Village Green has posted on Facebook that they are planning an article focusing on public opposition to the paid parking proposal.  Please contact them if you have any points you would like them to consider in their article.

Other than visiting a restaurant for a meal, a high percentage of my visits are for quick errands - takeout food or Post office or similar. IF paid parking has to happen, it would be great to include a "free period" for those quick turnarounds. In Millburn, the meters have a button for a free ten minutes for example

joan_crystal said:

The MVA has announced three "public" sessions to be held on 9/12 (Rosh Hashana), 9/19, and 9/26.  However, they are hardly a neutral party in this process.  

They are the driving force behind the proposal. I have not found any public comments from the TC about the proposal yet. Dean Dafis did post the survey.

yahooyahoo said:

They are the driving force behind the proposal. I have not found any public comments from the TC about the proposal yet. Dean Dafis did post the survey.

Dean was quoted in a Village  Green article this morning as saying that he is  strongly in favor of paid parking in the Village.  It should be noted that he is the TC liaison to MVA.

@joan_crystal, thank you for mentioning the Village Green article.

I'm surprised to see Dean vigorously defend the fairness of the survey. The survey is very biased and misleading.

Maplewood Township Committeeman Dean Dafis defended the survey and the announcement.

“I think the survey is open and fair. It is sincerely soliciting community feedback about parking experience in Maplewood Village. The results of the survey will inform any policy or operational changes to parking management there including expanded enforcement of existing time restrictions via new technologies, improved wayfinding, adjustments to time restrictions, and or expansion of paid parking beyond existing paid commuter parking. There is no plan to pull the survey.”

I think its fair to charge for parking to recover the cost of the operation and maintenence of the lots and do it in a way that makes it easy for the driver.  Having a 10-15 minute free parking window would be a good part of such a plan.  

Sadly all of this nickeling and diming just reduces the simplicity that attracted me to this town. I guess the answer to everything these days is to raise more revenue, at a time in history where there is more money in circulation than ever.

Komarovsky said:

I think its fair to charge for parking to recover the cost of the operation and maintenence of the lots and do it in a way that makes it easy for the driver.  Having a 10-15 minute free parking window would be a good part of such a plan.  

That was not a reason given by the Maplewood Village Alliance. The MVA wants residents to pay twice (property taxes and parking fees) for parking while they take on none of the responsibility.

Komarovsky said:

I think its fair to charge for parking to recover the cost of the operation and maintenence of the lots and do it in a way that makes it easy for the driver.  Having a 10-15 minute free parking window would be a good part of such a plan.  

Under the provisions of MVA's paid parking proposal, they would receive 50% of the revenue generated yet have zero responsibility for maintaining and operating paid parking in the SID.  MVA is looking at paid parking as a means of obtaining funding for their own operations, which are currently paid for by assessment of property owners in the Village. 

joan_crystal said:

Komarovsky said:

I think its fair to charge for parking to recover the cost of the operation and maintenence of the lots and do it in a way that makes it easy for the driver.  Having a 10-15 minute free parking window would be a good part of such a plan.  

Under the provisions of MVA's paid parking proposal, they would receive 50% of the revenue generated yet have zero responsibility for maintaining and operating paid parking in the SID.  MVA is looking at paid parking as a means of obtaining funding for their own operations, which are currently paid for by assessment of property owners in the Village. 

I agree, the current proposal isn't fair for the very reason you've stated.  I mean to suggest instead that a more sustainable and equitable proposal would be along the lines of what I mentioned.