Parking to cost more in Morristown

MORRISTOWN - Downtown parking meters will be evolving with the times, running on solar power and accepting credit cards as payment, but will also increase fees by 33 percent, according to the Morristown Parking Authority.

Installation will begin Tuesday on 430 new parking meters being installed in Morristown’s central business district. All meters should be installed within the week.

The new solar-powered meters will still accept change in addition to credit cards. Credit cards will require a minimum of one hour of time, while there is only a five cent limit for change.

“Meters will accept coins, just as they always have,” said Mark Axelrod, assistant director of the Morristown Parking Authority. “The ability to use a charge card, though, makes it a lot easier to pay. You don’t need a purse or pocket full of quarters. No more finding the perfect parking spot and discovering you don’t have change.”

With the new meters, parkers will pay $1 per hour as opposed to the previous 75 cents per hour rate, an increase of 33 percent. A nickel will now buy three minutes of parking time, a dime, six minutes, and a quarter, 15 minutes.

This marks the first increase since 1998, according to the parking authority.

“Operational expenses have gone up,” Axelrod said. “We’ve been able to hold the line for 17 years.”

The parking authority said the new rate puts Morristown on par with other New Jersey cities including Hoboken, Newark, and Paterson.

Margret Brady, chairperson of the Morristown Parking Authority’s Board of Commissioners, said the new meters will also allow the authority to learn more about meter usage, complete some maintenance remotely, and monitor all spaces from a central location.

“We’re always looking for ways to make it easier for residents and visitors to enjoy the shopping, restaurants and cultural events in Morristown,” Brady said. “These new meters are the first step toward applying new technology to parking.”

Axelrod said the solar powered meters will require less maintenance and have fewer malfunctions than the previous battery-powered machines. The new meters will still have back-up batteries, which will need to be replaced much less frequently.

While not currently in use, the parking authority said the new meters could be equipped for used through phone apps and “tap” technology in credit cards in the future.

The meters are the fourth generation to be used in Morristown, with the first placed in service in the 1950s, accepting coins and having no timing mechanism. Those were replaced in the 1960s with mechanical meters that required parkers to turn a crank. Those meters remained until the early 1990s, when they were replaced with the electric meters that stayed in service until the implementation of this week’s new models.

“There’s so much to do in Morristown, and there are many new shops and restaurants opening in town,” said Michael Fabrizio, executive director of the Morristown Partnership. “These credit card-capable meters will make parking easier and more convenient for shoppers and visitors coming to the central business district.”

Residents, business owners or parkers can call the Morristown Parking Authority at 973-539-4810 with any questions.

Founded in 1956, the Morristown Parking Authority is an independent body that is responsible for the operation, maintenance and management of on-street, lot and garage parking in Morristown. The authority is independently funded and has never been subsidized by the town or any other entity. Parking fees are reinvested in parking facilities. The authority receives no money from parking tickets. Fines go directly to the town, county and state.

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@GannettNJ.com