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A rider uses a bike lane on Madison Street in Hoboken.

(Jersey Journal file photo)

By REV. ALEXANDER M. SANTORA

A recent Saturday, I drove into Hoboken at 1:30 p.m. to find Newark Avenue into Observer Highway a parking lot. As I creeped ever so slowly to Park Avenue to get ready for a wedding, my anger rose especially when I saw that not one bike -- not one -- along the spacious, protected bicycle lane.

Now, Mayor Dawn Zimmer proposes protected bicycle lanes along four streets: Clinton, Grand, Jefferson and Madison, which will make traffic even worse. The original Biggie's on Madison has closed because patrons could not park and run in or even find a space. Perhaps Zimmer's plan is to drive all side street businesses out of town for the benefit of her imaginary bicyclists. I wonder if she was a fan of "The Jetsons" growing up since they were able to fly around and that may be the only way to navigate Hoboken's roadways under her administration's changes.

On narrowed streets, like Monroe, the traffic is often backed up for blocks especially at rush hours since it is a single lane. St. Joseph Church is located there and it could take as long as 15 minutes just to get out of the parking lot only to drive into other clogged streets. And it's only getting worse.

The City Council approved the elimination of four-hour free parking throughout the town. They plan to install parking payment boxes on every street in every neighborhood. Forget about the ugly factor on beautiful, tree-lined streets. This move will make Hoboken the only municipality in over 500 in all of New Jersey to require paid parking on every street and not just in the business area. And it's still limited to four hours.

So your grandparents come to dinner and you go longer than expected, kick them out with a dessert doggie bag. As a pastor, I worry about parking for funerals, weddings, socials and services on days other than Sundays. People drive here from all over. What will they do? The 4th Street Garage is often filled. Is the town in cohoots with garage owners?

It's certainly not making decisions in the best interests of the residents. Take the perennial traffic jams at Newark and Jackson made worse by the reduction of two traffic lanes and addition of parking on either side of Observer Highway. Any hour of the day or night you can find yourself sitting in traffic.

Finally, the town is making a concession to change the flow somewhat. Was it the wasted time it takes to get in or out of Hoboken? Or the environmental pollution from idling cars and trucks stuck in traffic? Or the raising blood pressures from the stress of stupid parking bureaucrats? Or the public safety concerns that prevent ambulances, fire trucks and police cars from getting to their destination in a timely manner? No. It was the pressure from N.J. Transit because their buses are continually late navigating Hoboken.

Hoboken keeps greenlighting larger buildings, which often charge high monthly parking fees in their own buildings, putting more cars onto streets. But street parking is being reduced by rubber bollards on many corners so you can't even pull over. And the town puts these ridiculous white coatings on certain corners - eliminating more parking -- allegedly to absorb rain water. Watch what happens when it rains!

With a town as dense as Hoboken, there needs to be some control over car flow and parking. Zimmer got it all wrong. She wants to change the name of Hoboken to "Orbit City" and make the aerocar the main means of transportation. She wants us all to live like the Jetsons.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of The Church of Our Lady of Grace & St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, 07030; Fax: 201-659-5833; E-mail: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter @padrehoboken. he writes a weekly column about faith for The Jersey Journal.