The days of cheating the system for free parking may be limited for drivers in the Garden State. A bill that is currently working its way through the Senate would allow NJ municipalities to use smart parking meters that can capture photos of vehicles.
The reason for these photographer-meters? Currently, drivers everywhere know that there is always a chance of sliding under parking enforcement’s radar without paying. However, with the installation of Municipal Parking Services’ sentry meters, a driver has about three minutes to pay for parking before a picture is taken of their vehicle license plate and a ticket is sent to their home address.
“It’s Big Brother at its absolute worst,” said Sen. Joe Cryan, D-Union. “It’s just going to screw people left and right; that’s what it’s going to do.”
The meters have already been piloted in Palisades Park, NJ just last year. After five months of use, the town’s 20 smart meters tripled normal parking meter ticket rates. While ticket rates skyrocketed for the town after the e-ticketing trial, the manufacturing company promises it won’t stay that way.
“When we install the system, the compliance rate with people paying for parking the way they should typically goes from the low 60s to about 95 percent in a matter of months,” said CEO, Brian Cassady.
Senate Bill 2579 is sponsored by Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and would not only allow law enforcement to leave physical parking tickets but to also remotely review meter-generated proof of non-payment and issue tickets through the mail using the proposed NJ courts’ e-ticketing system.
The move toward e-ticketing will have users connected via mobile applications that will notify them where they parked and when their time will expire.
“Here, there’s no question,” said Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth). “You pull up, you know how much time you’re paying for, you know when it’s running out.”
While the bill could anger drivers accustom to sneaking around parking payments, proponents like O’Scanlon argue that this could be a safer option for drivers as well…
“With these electronic systems, there’s an ability for someone to say right in the app that I am leaving my car overnight on purpose and to participate in some grace period set up by the municipality and the company operating their automated parking enforcement,” he said. “So, it could really open up the door to safety.”
The measure must still be OK-ed by the Senate, Assembly, and signed by Governor Phil Murphy. Until then, parking technology will continue to advance nation and worldwide. Parking hardware like these smart meters is being installed on streets and in garages daily. Furthermore, parking software providers are integrating with these new hardware options to produce a combination of the two that should jettison the “parking experience” into a sleek and efficient future.