Borough to Roll out Pay-by-Plate Parking Sept. 6
The new system will allow for greater convenience, officials say.
Collingswood residents, visitors, and business owners: after Labor Day, you will have one less parking issue about which to complain.
That’s because, starting September 6, the borough is doing away with the paper tickets at its kiosks in favor of a system that allows users simply to type in their license plate numbers to pay for parking.*
“You can pay without having to rush back to your parking space if you run out of time,” said Collingswood Police Chief Richard Sarlo in a borough-issued statement.
“Pay-by-plate allows people to ‘top up’ their time from anywhere.”
The kiosks only date back to 2010, but these improvements should make them seem outdated beyond even those two scant years. The new system notifies parking enforcement staff in real-time which cars’ meters have expired.
Borough leaders are also taking a look at cell-phone- and smart-card-based payment systems that would allow shoppers and diners “to purchase more time without ever leaving a store or restaurant,” the announcement says.
Until then, cash or a credit card is required to pay the 50¢-per-hour fee from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. along Haddon Avenue.
Traditional coin meters are still in use throughout the borough: beyond Powell Lane and Fern Avenue, in the Borough Hall and Atlantic Ave lots, and underneath the PATCO High Speedline.
*EDITOR'S NOTE: For those who still prefer to use the paper-ticket-on-dashboard system, the kiosks will still offer this option.
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Collingswood Borough Police Department
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Collingswood Borough Hall
678 Haddon Ave, Collingswood, NJ
Porterincollingswood
7:18 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Again, as a Collingswood resident why can't I pay for an annual parking sticker like I used to do with the PPA?
The kiosks have, in my experience, failed to work about 15% of the time (worse in the LY garage). And they waste my time. I'm happy to essentially pre-pay / overpay to avoid them.
While I appreciate the borough's efforts here, any solution that involves using the kiosks is, to me, not so great.
Joseph Forrest
8:54 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
@Porter - you're being too kind. I think it's the other way around....kiosks fail 85% of the time. The LY kiosks almost never work. An annual sticker for residents would be great. Many cities and boroughs have permit sticks that allow residents to park for free in many areas, and at reduced rates in downtown. What a concept!
Janice Ladik
8:14 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
I believe that if you are a Collingswood resident and pay taxes in Collingswood you should be allowed to park for free (at least for 15 minutes if you have to run into a store). I've lived in Collingswood my whole life and this is the only thing that has really angered me. JL
Joseph Forrest
8:54 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Apparently our sky-high taxes only pay for schools and the Lumberyard project. Free parking: not included.
Collingswoodnative
9:20 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
I hate parking meters or having to pay to park on the street. Collingswood wants more people to come to town but charge to park then aggressively ticket those whose time has run out.
Anyone know how much the fine is for overtime parking?
Joseph Forrest
9:38 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
We got a ticket once. It was about $20 or $25. Not bad, compared to Philadelphia or other towns. But still a slap in the face for a collingswood native.
Porterincollingswood
9:47 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
I agree, let's let people park for free and the locals can pay for the difference in higher taxes to make up for it.
That sound good to you? It doesn't to me.
Collingswoodnative
10:04 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Porter the biggest insult to living in Collingswood is paying the cost per student for educatum (sic) with poor results.
Collingswood pays more than Haddonfield, Cherry Hill, Haddon Twp. A lifetime of the schools need more money and the result is a grassroots effort to raise the SAT scores.
Yes, raise the taxes give the town free parking.
DR Marks
10:25 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
So, I park, go to the kiosk, enter my license # (state required?, could be a duplicate of another state), pay and walk away. Now in an office, behind the curtain, a municipal clerk watches a computer for my time to expire upon which time issues a summons for overtime parking plus "costs" and mails it to my home. And for old farts who only carry "dumb" phones, or still have land lines, how does this help? If there is still the ability to obtain a paper ticket how will a parking enforcement officer know who is actually in compliance? Seems as though we should maintain the "KISS" method...Keep it simple stupid! and BTW, I haven't looked at my license number since I screwed the thing on to my car.
Porterincollingswood
10:32 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Did the guy collecting the coins really cost that much that this is a cheaper solution?
j2the3rd
12:12 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Not so clear on how the new system works.
How does that municipal clerk "behind the curtain" know that my car is even still on the street when he/she gets the electronic notice that my time expired? Unless someone is actually out on the street checking license plates, they have no way of knowing whether I've already left. How can they ensure that they won't mail unwarranted tickets to folks who were already gone when their time expired? On the flip side, what prevents legimate offenders from simply claiming they were off the street when their time expired?
Does the new system require drivers to "check out" at the kiosk before pulling away?
Shirley
12:23 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
I just park in Haddonfield. The space is numbered and I tap it in to the kiosk - which works every time I use it.
Kevin
1:39 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
The only people that this makes sense to are the vendors who sold the system, and the company that is paid to support and maintain this system.
What was the problem with the old fashioned coin in and twist meters? So very few people get parking tickets in this town. I can probably count on two hands the number of times I have seen an officer checking meters in my 13+ years in town.
Joe
2:16 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
I recently traveled out of state and had to pay to park via a kiosk. You essentially had three options: $3.00 for one hour; $4.00 for two hours; or $5.00 for the day. You put your space # in the kiosk, it printed out a ticket, you put it on your dash and moved on. Why does this have to be so difficult with license plates and credit cards?
DR Marks
6:32 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Joe, Although the change to the kiosk program took some "getting used to" it has not been too bad and enforcement during the day was not too intense. The cost has been reasonable unlike the amounts that you have cited. Previously I had noted that in some cities kiosks adjust rates throughout the day or depending upon useage ie. supply and demand, but don't let me give Maley any ideas. This new "enter your license" program opens many unanswered questions and seems to create opportunities for erroneous ticketing. As I have stated, why not keep it simple?
Peeches
3:16 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Lifetime Resident. I do not shop Collingswood with the exception of Wawa. I bet you fellow residents can guess why. Clue: It's a black box on a standard every half block of so.
Gabe Fletcher
8:43 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
I didn't get why Colls just didn't do pay by space like Seaside Heights does. You just punch in your space number and then the time is added on, you still didnt need to display the ticket on your dash either.
Jasomm
8:58 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
From what I understand from doctors, that's really rare. If it's a legitimate kiosk error, the borough has ways to try to shut that whole thing down