Mayor Colleen Bianco Bezich
Hello neighbors: As we say goodbye to summer, I wanted to focus my Mayor’s column on Parking in Downtown Haddonfield. Earlier this year, the Borough began replacing the broken coin-metered units with new cashless kiosks powered by Premium Parking, and the transition is complete.
Starting Sept. 1, new paid parking hours will take effect for Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., with Sundays free. Paid parking has existed for decades downtown, and the old coin meters and outdated kiosks were not only an eyesore but becoming harder to service and update. Switching to the new cashless system provides more convenience and flexibility for consumers and municipal staff.
The Premium Parking system has multiple convenient ways to pay. If you don’t want to walk to a kiosk, you can use their CameraPay, TextPay, or reserve parking in advance on the Premium Parking App or at its website, www.premiumparking.com. The payments are now tied to license plate numbers instead of the previous “spaces.”
Once you create an account in the parking app, your vehicle info is entered and saved; there is no need to reenter your license plate information. There are more pluses to using the Premium Parking App; as your time runs out, an alert text is sent, allowing you to purchase more time without running to a kiosk.
Another bonus: While we have parking zones and utilize them for data collection, if you pay in one zone and move your vehicle to another, as long as time remains, you don’t have to pay again until your time expires. My fellow commissioners and I have heard feedback from some residents who do not like using the new parking system, those who don’t carry smartphones or those uncomfortable using text-to-pay and QR codes.
At the August commissioners meeting, I was happy to announce that we voted on my proposal to create an annual Senior Parking Pass for our 60+ residents that goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024. I am working on the details with Police Chief Cutler on how to sign up and pay the $20 yearly fee. We will announce in-person signups soon on the borough’s Haddonfield Happenings App and social media.
One constant with the parking changes: We will continue offering free parking during the holiday season, a plus for retail businesses, visitors and residents.
With gratitude,
Mayor Colleen Bianco Bezich
