Cameras ticketing parking scofflaws? New system in effect Oct. 1 in NJ

HOBOKEN, N.J. (PIX11) -- Cameras will be added two weeks from now to the squad of traffic and parking enforcement officers in this city across the Hudson River from Manhattan.

Parking officials here are getting the word out now about the changes to come, and reactions among some residents -- especially some drivers -- may be surprising to some. 

The cameras are mounted on top of stoplight poles on every block on Washington Street, the main street of Hoboken, along its nine southernmost blocks. The cameras, posted from Observer Highway to 8th Street, will be activated on October 1 to record violations and generate tickets for offenders. 

Enrique Herrera, a lifelong Hoboken resident who regularly rides his skateboard in the bike lane on Washington Street, said that the new electronic enforcement is helpful. 

"Having camera footage of your car in an illegal spot like a bike lane and stuff like that," he said, "that stops people like me from being hit by cars."

He was referring to the cameras' purpose of recording vehicles blocking the bike lanes, bus lanes, bus stops, and loading zones along Washington Street.

Emily Cheng manages a boutique in the zone where the cameras will be activated. She said that adding cameras to parking enforcement in the city can only help. 

"It's sometimes hard for people to board the bus just because of the fact that there are cars parked there," Cheng said. 

She and her shop have been directly affected by traffic and parking problems. 

"Last week," she continued, "we missed shipment just because there was nowhere for [the delivery truck] to park because people were double-parked."

Hoboken's city council approved the cameras last year, and the cameras were installed this past spring. According to a parking official, the devices are now recording information for Hoboken's parking authority to use to practice with now in preparation for when camera enforcement goes into effect on October 1. 

In anticipation of that, parking enforcement workers are now handing out fliers to drivers to let them know about the program and to prepare them to have to pay fines when the system is put in place. 

One of those drivers was Olivia Florio. 

"I'm not gonna lie, I've had to double park," Florio said, from behind the wheel of her mini-SUV. She was legally parked when she spoke with PIX11 News, but on the fairly rare occasions when she has to double park, the new system would end up generating a ticket that she'd have to pay. 

While she wasn't necessarily excited about the prospect of having to pay up, she felt that overall, the camera system is for the better. 

"It's hard enough to find parking," Florio said, "but this'll help regulate."

Ensuring that traffic flows smoothly, said Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, in a statement, is the point of the camera system, which is nicknamed CLEAR. It's an acronym for Camera-based License plate Enforcement for Access & Response times. 

“By using automated camera enforcement to crack down on illegal parking and clear blocked lanes," said Mayor Bhalla, in a statement, "we’ll not only reduce dangerous conditions for pedestrians and cyclists, but also cut down on traffic congestion, improve commute times, and ensure emergency vehicles can respond faster in critical situations. CLEAR is a data-driven solution to a problem residents have been highlighting for years, and it's a critical part of our Vision Zero commitment to end traffic fatalities and injuries.”

Philadelphia, Miami, and Pittsburgh have similar systems in place.