City Hall updates Mill Hill parking permits
TRENTON, N.J. — Trenton City Hall issued a memo late April to residents of Mill Hill District requiring them to obtain new parking permit decals and guests passes from City Hall by May 31.
Mayor Eric E. Jackson updated the old parking permits and passes as a result of issues and complaints from residents about not having access to enough parking in the residential neighborhood.
“There have been requests from residents in the area who had concerns about lack of parking due to individuals who were using residential parking spaces who do not have the proper permit,” said the City of Trenton Director of Public Works, Merkle Cherry.
For many years, residents in Mill Hill and seven other permit-parking districts in Trenton have been required to have parking stickers or decals and visitors’ parking permits.
However, about 10 years ago, the City did not issue new parking stickers to residents and so they were no longer using them. Instead they would display the visitors’ passes in their vehicles, stated Mill Hill resident, Jean Bickal.
Many non-residents park without the proper permits by obtaining counterfeit or duplicates of the visitors’ passes, and this is the issue for residents who frequently cannot find parking spots.
Ronald Pott, treasurer of Old Mill Hill Society stated that since the State of New Jersey and other government agencies occupy so much land in the downtown area and do not park in their allocated parking spots, they are a part of the problem.
“For Convenience or whatever other reason, many people park in the residential areas and there have been quite a few cases in which people have duplicated parking passes or created counterfeits,” he stated.
Another neighbor, George Faulkner, a 30-year Mill Hill resident, said, “When I get off work in the mornings at 8, I have trouble finding spots to park because non-residential folks are parking here.” He added, “I don’t think enforcement does a good job because there are too many unauthorized vehicles here without residential stickers in their cars. Some consistently park here,” he said.
Visitors should use the permits on all or parts of the following streets: Jackson Street, (all); South Broad Street, (300-366); Mercer Street, (all); Clay Street, (all); East Front Street, (207-253); Greenwood Avenue, (all); Livingston Street, (43); Market Street, (309-416); and South Montgomery Street, (109-119).
There is a $55 fine for Mill Hill guests who park without the proper parking permits. The accelerated enforcement was effective June 1.
The new parking permit decals expire within two years. They have a security feature to help prevent duplication, said Cherry.
And the individual guests or visitors’ passes are limited to two per household.
The City is hoping these measures will help residents to secure adequate parking spaces.
According to Cherry, “the Mayor heard the concerns of the residents and he’s responded to them.”
There are seven other permit-parking districts in Trenton and they will receive updated permits as well.
Those districts are: Circle F, Ewing-Carroll, St. Francis, Mercer County Stadium, Mercer Medical Center, Train Station, and Woolverton-Hancock districts.