TIME TO PAY
Trenton council reverses course, funds new parking meters
TRENTON » City officials did a K-Turn on funding a new parking system.
After Trenton council rejected $1.2 million in bonds for new parking meters in September, city officials gave the program a green light at last week’s meeting and reauthorized the funding.
Two crucial council members, George Muschal and Marge Caldwell-Wilson, switched their previous abstention votes to give approval to the funding.
Muschal said Thursday that he met twice with the Mayor Eric Jackson’s administration and Business Administrator Terry McEwen before deciding to switch his vote. In September, Muschal said in a Trentonian story that the administration’s projection of $2 million for the new meters was a “total lie.” “They’re telling me they can bring in $2 million revenue out of that and that would save the firemen from getting laid off,” the South Ward councilman said in a phone interview. “They gave us their word there would be no layoffs, no brownouts and everything and I switched my vote.”
There was talk of firefighter layoffs a couple months ago, but that problem appears to be resolved at the moment.
Expect the new parking system to be in place soon.
City spokesman Michael Walker said Thursday night that “the timeline for installation could be six to nine months.” He said the city is currently reviewing several proposals and that a recommendation would be brought back before council “soon.”
When the funding measure was initially introduced in August, Trenton officials expected the new parking system to generate $2 million annually for the city.
Trenton officials previously told The Trentonian that the city was eyeing smart meters that would accept coin, credit card and app. The new system could also be modeled similarly to Philadelphia’s parking, where meter kiosks are utilized rather than standalone meters.
Currently, only 70 percent of the city’s 990 meters are functional and the antiquated devices only accept coins, city officials previously said. The city also has only four parking enforcement officers on staff.
The system’s deficiencies allow drivers to secure free parking in Trenton by finding broken meters.
An outside vendor completed a downtown parking management plan for the city in January.
The study outlined that the city must address the misuse of handicapped parking placards, the broken meters and reduced enforcement. All contribute to the lack of short-term parking in Trenton due to the fact that the spots are used all day.
Muschal said the city “definitely needs new meters.”
Caldwell-Wilson previously agreed with that assessment as well, but had reservations if the city was equipped to enforce parking and the projected revenue.
“The city’s not doing a good job,” Caldwell-Wilson said in September. “Parking violations go on all over the city and they’re not enforced.”
The North Ward councilwoman did not return a call seeking message about her decision to change her vote at last Thursday’s meeting.
The lone council member to oppose the plan was Phyllis HollyWard over concerns of not taking the administration “at their word,” Muschal said.
Muschal is also skeptical Jackson’s administration will make good on its promise.
“They could be liars,” Muschal said. “They’ve been known to be liars. The whole administration is habitual liars.”