Graphic by Edward Andilema / SOC Images.
Imagine you’re driving home from a long day at work or school. Your body is aching, eyes slowly lowering and your hands begin to cramp up from unknowingly gripping the wheel so tight.
As you turn onto your street, you expect to immediately pull into a spot. You drive 5 mph, making sure to turn your head both ways, eager to find parking.
Yet, your hope begins to dwindle once you realize that you have reached the end of the street and there is no parking spot insight. Five minutes turns into fifteen which turns into thirty and before you know it, you have been circling the block for over an hour, praying that someone decides to put an end to your misery and finally move their car.
This is the experience that many Hudson County residents face each day of their lives. Slice of Culture surveyed 36 people throughout the area and found that 30% identified that Jersey City and West New York have the worst parking situation.
Additionally, 32.1% of the residents believe that the most difficult time to find parking is between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., whereas 25% claim that anytime after 10 p.m. can be a headache for them.
Bar Graph Survey Results. (Screenshot)
“There have been times where I almost gave up on even finding a spot because I kept going around in circles. It drives me crazy,” Arnoush Abedian told Slice of Culture.
According to survey results, 41.7% reported that it takes them about 5-20 minutes when searching for a spot. Yet, in Abedian’s case, this duration can often cause a conflict in scheduling or prior arrangements.
Abedian, a student at Saint Peter’s University (SPU) and Jersey City resident, encounters her issues with parking each day before going to class. The Peacock campus lies in the heart of McGinley Square, right before hitting the busy streets of Journal Square and downtown.
In this area, street cleaning, residential parking only and park mobile signage are a common sight. They are critical to whether or not an empty space will be the end to your search or the beginning to another problem, such as a $50 ticket or even a tow.
Knowing this, Abedian had to create a different schedule in hopes that she can avoid problems at all cost.
“I have to wake up 45 minutes to an hour earlier just to have enough time to look for a spot and make it to class,” Abedian said.
Not only has the parking crisis cost Abedian her time, it has also brought her stress as each day she considers if taking her car to school is worth it. The SPU Junior has found herself inconvenienced when forced to adjust her own schedule just for the security of her vehicle.
Similar to this, residents of West New York have also expressed their growing frustration over the city’s worsening parking conditions.
Different City, Same Complaints
“They’re so corrupt, so corrupt.”
Those are words said by former West New York resident Sabrina Marrero, who lived and worked in the city for five years and often found herself ticketed by parking authority.
Marrero remembers the daily run-ins with “Pay By The Meter” and “Park Mobile,” specifically the times where they failed to work.
“Some of the meters don’t even work or require you to download an entirely different app,” Marrero said. “So if you don’t have space on your phone, you’ll have to use coins.”
“But if that doesn’t work, you might have to find another spot.”
Unfortunately for residents, a malfunctioning or inoperable meter might not always guarantee protection from being ticketed by parking enforcement. In these kinds of situations, Marrero’s suggestion of “finding another spot” can work as a possible solution.
Yet, restarting the journey can be a hassle, especially if locating the first parking spot already took up a great chunk of time.
Hoboken’s Lack of Street Parking
While Jersey City and West New York continue to display parking-related struggles, Hoboken is not far behind on the list. One Reddit user even claimed that the city is an “extremely hit or miss area”, suggesting that residents might run into troubles in the process.
WalkFriendly.org considers Hoboken to be “a built environment that is highly conducive to walking. “Residents often take advantage of the city’s downtown area, specifically Washington Street: located near the path train and waterfront, while also being home to a variety of restaurants.
Due to the busy nature of the city, it is often difficult to locate parking: free street parking to be exact.
Like other Hudson County cities, Hoboken is filled with ParkMobile machines. For those that refuse to pay, they can be hit with a ticket of at least $35.
Yet, Hoboken officials have a clear purpose behind this model.
According to News12, parking spots started to disappear after a number of traffic fatalities had been reported. With the implementation of road safety initiatives like Vision Zero, there have been zero reported automobile-related deaths. These efforts have ultimately reshaped city streets and saved lives, but often at the expense of parking availability.
With residents continuing to raise their concerns, one question still remains: how can Hudson County’s parking crisis be solved?
What Can Be Done to Fix This?
In an effort to understand the perspectives of Jersey City and North Bergen parking laws, Slice of Culture reached out to both departments on numerous occasions. After leaving voicemails and making an in-person visit, neither team has made a formal response to the initial outreach—leaving key questions about enforcement and solutions unanswered, at the time of this writing.
However, their silence should not discourage residents from speaking up and seeking change. People like Abedian and Marrero use their vehicles on a daily basis, making consistent access to parking a necessity rather than convenience.
In Abedian’s case, the shortage ultimately results in another sacrifice being made: waking up nearly an hour before needed just to begin the hunt for a spot.
“It’s not just parking—it’s being late, missing class, and constantly feeling defeated,” Abedian said. “I want to see change, but I can’t keep starting each day with this much stress on my shoulders.”
To have your voice heard, explore the resources below to learn how you can share your experiences and take effective steps towards real solutions.
1. Report Issues via SeeClickFix (Jersey City Only)
seeclickfix.com/jersey-city
This platform can be used to report cases like broken meters, confusing signage and more—all of which gets sent to city departments.
2. Share Feedback with Vision Zero Jersey City
jerseycitynj.gov/visionzero
In order to help improve road and street safety, Vision Zero welcomes public feedback and concerns.
3. Attend a City Council Meeting
City Council Meetings are common ways to share and hear different perspectives. You can use your voice during the public commentary sections to bring attention to parking troubles.
- Hudson County Council Info: 2025 Meeting Dates and Agendas – Board of County Commissioners
- Jersey City Council Info: jerseycitynj.gov/CityHall/city_council
- Hoboken Council Info: Accela Meeting Portal
- West New York Meetings: westnewyorknj.org/Meetings
4. Join Local Advocacy Groups
There are a variety of different groups throughout Hudson County that create public forums— giving people the space to rally for more efficient transportation solutions, and even fairer parking policies. Some of these groups include but are not limited to Bike JC, Safe Streets and Hudson County Complete Streets.
5. Take Advantage of Your Online Community
Platforms like Reddit, Facebook and Nextdoor are a great way to share your story, ask questions and organize community action.
6. Share Your Story with Slice of Culture
Slice of Culture will always care about your input! Take a few minutes to complete our short survey and let us know how parking in Hudson County has impacted your life. Your voice can be an encouragement to others facing the same difficulties.
Tell us how you feel about parking in your area by filling out our survey here.
