Consulting Firm to Study Hoboken's Parking Problems

In an attempt to alleviate Hoboken’s well-known parking woes — the Mile Square has about 50 percent more cars than street spaces — the city last week contracted with a firm to design a citywide parking master plan, NJ.com reported.

City council awarded global consulting firm Arup a $69,948 contract for the project, which will attempt to remedy Hoboken’s vexing parking situation.

"This citywide parking master plan will take a comprehensive look at one of the most challenging issues we face and provide recommendations for concrete steps we can take to improve parking in Hoboken," Mayor Dawn Zimmer told the website.

According to NJ.com, Arup’s proposal suggests that raising the cost of permits — currently $15 annually — might cut down on the number of cars kept in the city and that congestion could be reduced if enforcement of illegal commercial loading was more strict.

"The current state of enforcement does little to deter this behavior, as parking tickets are seen as a cost of doing business," the proposal reads.

Going forward, the city plans to hold a series of public hearings on the parking plan.