Fair Lawn—During a nearly two-hour marathon meeting on Tuesday, January 14^th, almost 100 residents crowded into municipal hall for a special discussion regarding the new parking ordinance for the Radburn train station.

On November 12, 2013, just a few days after the elections, the town council approved a plan to replace the old annual payment system with a new daily payment one. Under the new plan, commuters will pay using Parkmobile, either through its mobile app or by calling its toll-free number. The change comes with an increase in rates. In 2013, residents paid $54 for the full year while non-residents were charged $188, with a municipal employee issuing the parking permits. The new system adjusts those rates to a daily payment of $1 for residents and $2 for those living outside of Fair Lawn. For each transaction, 35 cents is paid to Parkmobile, which then submits a list of license plate numbers to the town’s police department to be used for enforcement of parking regulations. For residents who commute every day using the train, the rate hikes result in a more than 300% increase in yearly parking costs, while it amounts to only a 150% increase for non-residents. Many of the residents who spoke before the council were angered by the greater rate increase.

Further concerns stemmed from the new method of payment, as many expressed the countless annoyances the change brings to their already busy lives. Some were worried that they would forget to pay the daily fee, and then be ticketed. Others commented that they did not have a smart phone, and even those that did find it inconvenient to take time out of their day to pay. The council is already looking into weekly and monthly rates to add to the daily option, and added that they would ask Parkmobile for a yearly option as well.

There was also anger over how the council handled the transition. Numerous people questioned why the council did not make more of an effort to inform commuters about the switch to Parkmobile, while others were irritated that because the new system is not expected to begin until April 1 no parking ordinance is currently being enforced. There are already not enough parking spots, and residents now fear that they will have to wake up even earlier to ensure that they are able to find a space before a non-resident takes it.

Strangely, the council admitted that it rejected an original proposal of a $3 rate for non-residents in favor of a $2 rate. After hearing from many Fair Lawn commuters the council said it would revisit the issue, and perhaps couple lowering the cost for residents with an offsetting increase for non-residents.

When asked if the old permit system could be put back into place, the borough defended the switch to Parkmobile as a cost-effective move. “We’ve been asked to do more with less,” said Police Chief Glen Cauwels. “And that is the opportunity Parkmobile affords us.”

Yet it was never made clear exactly how Parkmobile will save Fair Lawn any money. At 35 cents per transaction fee, and with over 300 parking spots, commuters may wind up collectively paying the company over $20,000 each year. Why the town cannot raise rates on its own, and set aside that money to hire someone to issue permits under the old system, remains unclear.

The council called for a workshop to further discuss the suggestions made by residents. No contract has been signed yet with Parkmobile, and the council assured residents that it could still make changes to the rates before they go into effect. Nevertheless, even if the rates are changed, it seems as if Parkmobile will remain as the new payment method for Fair Lawn commuters.

Aharon is a student at Hunter College pursuing a BA in English Literature. He can be reached via twitter _baronaharon or aharonschrieber_gmail.com

By Aharon Schrieber