Mayor Issues Grace Period So Borough Can Adjust to Kiosks

Commissioners finally approved the last step in activating parking kiosks. And Collingswood Mayor James Maley said the borough will be lenient while locals adjust to new parking regulations.

"Getting the kiosks activated has taken us longer than it took to build Rome," Maley joked Monday night. "Now kiosks are finally operational. There will be a grace period while we're getting people to learn how to use kiosks."

But what does the grace period mean, exactly?

"It means we won't be fining people right away," Maley said Monday night. 

Maley couldn't peg a precise timeframe for the duration of the grace period.

"I don't know," he said of how long before tickets start being issued. "It (the grace period) will depend on how long it takes for people to learn (the new kiosk system)."

The commission meeting, held Monday, March 7, wasn't the only obvious end to the parking meters' reign. All remaining meters had been removed from the avenue's sidewalks earlier the same day.

"They're all gone," said Maley of meters. "There's no meters (on Haddon Avenue) anymore. They were all taken down today."

The kiosks' reign officially begins Tuesday, March 8, at 9 a.m.

Parking for one hour under the new kiosk system costs 50¢ more than metered parking had. And there will be no more free parking on nights and weekends, as there was under meter operation. Starting March 8, kiosks will mean paying to park on Haddon Avenue from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.

During Monday's commission meeting, Maley said kiosks had already been activated prior to March 8. 

"I saw people out on Haddon Avenue already using them the other day," he said Monday night. "It looked like everyone was getting the hang of it."

But, for those who need time to get used to kiosks, there's always that grace period. And Maley said the borough wants feedback from drivers.

"Let us know of any problems you encounter (operating kiosks)," Maley said. "Like anything you do that's new, there's issues. These kiosks are an entirely new system, and, like anything, we'll have to make changes accordingly."

When commissioners opened the parking kiosk discussion to members of the public Monday night—giving residents a chance to voice concerns over the new system—no one spoke out.

So remember, Collingswood—when you become wild and frantic Tuesday morning, wondering where all the meters have disappeared to—it's natural to feel this way. Kiosk parking is an adjustment we all have to make. 

At the very least, while we're all getting over the confusion, we have a grace period to depend on.