In a letter to the editor, Hoboken resident Kevin Davis says the city say no to a 330 percent parking fee hike proposed by Bike Hoboken.
Dear Editor,
Did you know that Bike Hoboken, a tiny group with about ten members is pushing to quietly raise the annual residential parking permit fee from $57 to $245 a year?
That’s a 330% increase, that they are quietly trying to put into the recommendations of the city’s Curbside Management Study which is being drafted.
In a letter to the consultants drafting this study and elected officials, they recommend this 330% parking increase in addition to other recommendations.
Bike Hoboken claims that raising the cost of parking will make it easier to find a spot. But let’s be honest, raising prices doesn’t create more spaces.
That’s like saying if we raise the price of bread to $50, grocery store lines will disappear. Sure, they’ll disappear because no one can afford the bread!
This fee hike will price out middle- and lower-income families, while luxury car owners in Range Rovers and BMW’s can afford to shrug it off.
This is nothing more than a regressive tax that shifts the burden onto those who can least afford it.
And let’s talk about hypocrisy for a minute. Bike Hoboken decries subsidies for cars, yet they get a free police escort for their monthly community bike ride.
Meanwhile, other nonprofits must pay the city for those services. So, it’s perfectly fine for them to get taxpayer-funded benefits, but somehow car owners are the problem? It’s a classic case of “do as I say, not as I do.”
Now, about the “Take a Test, Wear a Vest” law. Bike Hoboken opposed this common-sense law, claiming it wouldn’t work because delivery bikers wouldn’t register. Well, guess what?
Over 400 delivery bikers have already registered, proving that people will comply with simple safety measures.
The law requires a $5 fee and a short quiz on traffic safety. This is about making our sidewalks safer, especially with the growing problem of delivery e-bikes speeding down sidewalks.
Walking in Hoboken sometimes feels like you’re in the middle of a high-speed pizza chase. One wrong step and you might be dodging a pepperoni pie instead of just crossing the street! But Bike Hoboken opposed it anyway because it didn’t fit their agenda.
And here’s the kicker: Mayor Bhalla initially opposed the “Take a Test, Wear a Vest” law and planned to veto it.
But after public pressure from Hoboken residents, he changed course and signed the law, ignoring Bike Hoboken’s request for a veto.
This shows that when the larger public speaks up, it can outweigh the influence of small groups like Bike Hoboken. Public safety and common sense won the day, and it can happen again if we rally against this unfair parking fee hike.
Bike Hoboken also opposes restricting some bike parking spaces to pedal bikes only, even though most of the bike spots at the PATH station are taken by commercial e-bike delivery riders.
Just because Bike Hoboken is the loudest voice in the room, doesn’t mean they’re right.
They claim to speak for the public, but their selective opposition to common-sense laws shows they’re more interested in drowning out opposing views than making Hoboken better for everyone.
Even if Bike Hoboken blocks you on social media, they can’t block our voices if we stand together.
Public pressure works, and we saw that when residents pushed for the “Take a Test, Wear a Vest” law, and the mayor signed it into effect. We can stop this unfair parking hike before it reaches the City Council.
Because let’s be real: the only thing that should inflate this fast is a balloon, not your parking fees.
Kevin Davis
Hoboken resident
Don’t hate the players, hate the party.
These liberal elites clearly are superior humans because they make/hide a lot of money and therefore we all should obey.
Trust the science. No one is illegal. Kamala is our pick. Turn the page. Choose joy.
$245 is still a bargain for parking permits compared to garages.
Bravo Kevin Davis. This take is spot on.
The elitist Bike Hoboken clique are nothing more than another wealthy colonizer pushing out the lower class.
the amount they propse will consume half-a-month income for many life-long hoboken residents on a fixed income. Bike Hoboken is selfish, obnoxious wealthy clique who think they know better.
If we charge for parking permits bc they consume public space, well…so do bike racks. Thus all bikes should require permit$.
Agree with Indie here. She is spot on. Affordable parking is needed. Bike Hoboken is an elitist group of wealthy owners who store their cars in garages for 350-500 a month
Ravi, Tiffany Fischer, Jabbour and Cohen love raising parking on the poor and middle class here, but think it’s okay to hit working class with a Parking tax
This sounds great, actually. Get cars out of Hoboken, I’m tired of waking up to honking and falling asleep to reggaeton, especially in a town where everything is within walking distance.
1.) Walking? Many get breakfast, lunch and dinner delivered by ebike — more convenient than walking a few blocks. Glad to see Kevin and Paul’s efforts are panning out and that there are some standards being applied here. The city didn’t think this all the way through and we are now course correcting on the fly.
2.) Ban cars in Hoboken? It has been happening for years – but again without a holistic plan and without acknowledgement that some people have jobs and family who do not live in Hoboken and are not easily accessible via mass transit. And, let’s not get into mass transit…… We have hitched our wagons, and hopes, to something that is years away from servicing our needs.
@Brenden Walsh – So my office 30 miles west is “in walking distance”. Take off your blinders. Not everyone works in Manhattan. And No, do not tell me to move out of my home town of many many decades. my entire life has been here, and will remain here. Get over yourself.
If only bike riders followed any laws.
Yeah ALL of them bikers are terrible. Just like all pedestrians cross the street without looking because they are immortal. Stop with the collective broad-stroke assignment of fault. Such views only serve to alert other readers of your lack of judgment and thus we ignore your blabbering as foolish drool.
Rumor is Chris Adair the dictator of Bike Hoboken is moving to CAR-li-fornia
YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Sadly Bhalla continues to listen to a lunatic from Jersey City who has no interest in Hoboken , she just wants to drive to our safer city for shopping, the nicer path train line and our parks…
Bhalla caters to Jersey City as he aspires to run for higher office again and needs Fulop and James SocialistOmon for support next time