Denville officials are preparing an ordinance addressing downtown parking violations, including overtime parking and the practice known as spot jockeying — moving a car between 90-minute spaces to dodge a ticket. The proposal would add fines for parking violations.
According to New Jersey Hills Media Group, the ordinance defines spot jockeying specifically as moving a vehicle between 90-minute spaces to avoid tickets, and it would also raise penalties tied to parking in crosswalks.
Crosswalk Parking
Vehicles parked too close to crosswalks can block sightlines and pose hazards to pedestrians.
How Enforcement Would Actually Work
Spot jockeying refers to moving a vehicle between 90-minute spaces to avoid a ticket. One-hour street-parking restrictions apply Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Elsewhere in New Jersey, similar camera-equipped SafetyStick devices have already been rolled out in towns including Belleville, Jersey City, Montclair, Garfield, North Arlington, Linden and Cranford, according to nj.com, which describes the posts as solar-powered units with radar and cameras whose images are reviewed by local enforcement personnel before any ticket is issued. Nearby Morristown has launched its own SafetyStick pilot to monitor no-parking zones along South Street, per New Jersey Hills Media Group's Morris Newsbee coverage, and Boonton piloted a similar camera effort on Main Street in July to keep crosswalks and restricted zones clear.
Where Downtown Drivers Can Already Park
Free parking is available at Lower Bloomfield Avenue and Church Street, while the Upper Bloomfield Avenue and First Avenue lots have a three-hour maximum. Daily permit spaces are also available in the First Avenue, Bloomfield Avenue, West Main Street and Mount Tabor lots.
The Township Council is expected to introduce the ordinance at its meeting next Tuesday, Nov. 10. If it advances, the council plans to hold a public hearing and adoption vote in December.
