Linden cracking down on illegal parking using new technology
LINDEN – City police will be using a new tool aimed at curbing illegal parking, especially downtown.
Municipal Parking Services (MPS) solar-powered "Safety Sticks" will be installed at five locations downtown along North Wood Avenue, to help combat illegal parking in restricted areas, such as near fire hydrants and crosswalks.
“Illegal parking, especially in the downtown area, makes our streets more dangerous for pedestrians, contributes to congestion, and are consistently among the most common frustrations cited by drivers,” said Police Chief David Hart. “This technology will help reduce these violations by allowing for increased enforcement at no extra cost to the city.”
According to a video on the company's website, the sticks, which are installed in no parking zones with a few bolts, have solar-powered high-definition cameras that capture when a driver enters and exits an illegal parking zone using radar detection technology, and sends that information to enforcement personnel who can issue a citation by mail.
The sticks, which offer round-the-clock enforcement, can be installed near fire hydrants, bus and bike lanes and are aimed at reducing illegal parking by 95%, the video says.
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Linden police said the devices do not indiscriminately capture or store any license plate data; a vehicle must be stopped in a restricted area longer than a designated period of time before the vehicle will be considered a violation. A parking enforcement officer will review every alleged violation and determine if a summons will be issued when appropriate.
The City Council approved the deployment of the devices in June. Installation is currently underway at designated locations along North Wood Avenue, including portions of West Blancke Street and East Price Street. Other locations may be added based on the effectiveness of the program.
The devices come at no cost to the city. Fines for violations are typically $55, and the company gets $14 for every ticket, a police spokesperson said.
“Over the past several years we have taken significant steps to make our streets safer, especially for pedestrians,” Hart said. “This technology has reduced violations by as much as 95% in some areas, and we are confident they will be an effective tool here in Linden as well.”
The devices are expected to be functional in the coming weeks, however, tickets are not expected to be issued until October.
“Our goal is to change driver behavior, so we want people to get familiar with how the system works before we start issuing tickets,” Hart said.
Drivers are encouraged to be mindful of all parking laws. Some of the most common violations include double parking, blocking a crosswalk, and parking within 50 feet of a stop sign, 25 feet of a crosswalk, 10 feet of a fire hydrant, or within an intersection.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Linden NJ cracking down on illegal parking using new technology
