The cost of parking in Newark will shoot up significantly in 2023, with fines being increased for the first time in 6 years, and rates going up for the first time in more than two decades.
Newark City Council on Monday passed an increase in fines for a multitude of parking woes, including misusing handicapped spots, parking in fire lanes, expired meters, not parking within a marked space and more.
All revised fines will go into effect on Jan. 1 and are the first increases to parking fines in Newark since 2017. The city is updating its policies following changes in state law, said Newark Mayor Stu Markham.
The increased fines and rates will bring in almost $2 million in new revenue to the college town.
How much fines will increase
Fines for expired meters for on-street parking and downtown lots are currently $20. If your ticket is not paid within 30 days, the cost increase to $49.
Under the new ordinance, the fine will be $70. If paid within 15 days, you’ll get a 50% break to $35.
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The fine for unauthorized parking in a handicapped space will jump from $100 to $300 and the fine for parking in a fire lane will increase from $75 to $180. You will also get a 50% discount if you pay in 15 days.
“One of our goals was to reduce our administrative overhead to give people the carrot to pay early,” Renee Bensley, planning director for the city. “Let’s try to get people to comply instead of having a punitive measure later.”
Parking officers also will also start to immobilize any vehicle that accrues six or more citations within a month.
Newark will still offer free parking to drivers with a handicapped tag, but starting in 2023, only in designated handicapped spaces. Currently, those drivers can park free at any space.
Newark’s parking fines bring in about $900,000 each year. The increased fines could generate an extra $225,000 to $360,000.
Parking meter rates will almost double
Aside from ticket fines, Newark also plans to increase rates for metered spots and parking lots. Once codified in the coming weeks, this will be the first change to the city’s parking rates since 1999.
Parking in the city is currently managed through on-street parking meters, off-street hourly parking lots, long-term parking lots and residential parking permits. You can pay for downtown parking through the Passport Parking app.
Parking lots managed by the city will increase from $1 per hour to $2 per hour and on-street meters will increase from $1.25 per hour to $2.25 per hour.
The increased pricing is estimated to bring in an additional $1.5 million in revenue each year.
According to Markham, this $1.5 million will help the city hire new police officers. Five new officers are expected to be hired in July.
Despite these changes, there’s still some good news.
The cost of parking will return to current rates from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15 and June 16 to Aug. 15 each year, an effort to encourage residents to support local businesses during typically slow periods.
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