Jan 7, 2009 7:05 pm US/Eastern
Clifton, N.J. Residents Declare War On Commuters
One Neighborhood's Residents Furious Over Lack Of Parking
CLIFTON, N.J. (CBS) ―
Residents in one New Jersey town say they've had enough of commuters taking over their neighborhood.
Commuters say they have good reason. Neighbors say the influx started when a nearby park and ride started charging drivers.
Gertraud Surie, who has a hard time getting around, is lucky to have found a parking space in front of her home. But on most days she said it's impossible to find a spot along Richfield Terrace.
"I'm disabled. A lot of people work different shifts. When they come home they're no parking spaces," Surie said.
Surie and other residents of a Clifton apartment complex said commuters who use NJ Transit's "Allwood Park and Ride" to catch a bus into Manhattan have taken over the street and Braun Place because the park and ride recently started charging $2 for parking.
"If you come after rush hour there's nowhere to park," resident Pete Travia said. "It's first come, first serve. Whoever gets a spot gets the spot. Sometimes I have to park way up the street, around the block. It's a hassle."
Many residents have permits in their cars. The problem is that only one side of Ridgefield Terrace has "resident only" parking spots, leaving commuters free to snap up spots on the other side.
That's why the complex has petitioned the city for more "resident only" spots and officials said they're working to do just that.
"We institute a permit ban and put the signage and let residents come get their permits for their particular residences," Clifton City manager Al Greco said.
For their part, some commuters told CBS 2 HD off camera the park and ride lots get filled up pretty quickly. But one 82-year-old said she's doesn't care.
"Usually they come when the spots on this side. They're parking here," Surie said.
Officials also said they're considering turning a site near the station into a commuter lot and that they're working with Nutley to see if that town's commuter shuttle bus could make two stops here in Clifton.
Residents also said it's not just commuters taking over their parking spots. Folks who frequent a nearby bar are also flooding their neighborhood.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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