By Anne Levin

Among the controversial issues of the recent revamp of Princeton’s parking system was permit parking. An especially relevant topic for residents of the tree streets, Jugtown, and employees in the central business district, it is the focus of an open forum being held tonight (October 16) at 7 p.m. at Witherspoon Hall, by the task force that has been working to develop a comprehensive permit parking plan for neighborhoods within walking distance of the downtown.

Made up of residents and business owners, the task force has been meeting since early this past summer. The group is planning to present recommendations to Princeton Council early next year. Councilwoman Leticia Fraga, who leads the group, is hoping that residents, business owners, and their employees will attend the forum to ask questions and offer suggestions. A survey inviting comment has been on the town’s website in recent weeks.

“Folks are definitely concerned about how this is going to impact them,” Fraga said last week. “That’s understandable. The task force has been hearing from many individuals who represent the various neighborhoods, as well as employers.”

Those who work in town are a key segment the task force is addressing. “We do want to acknowledge that employees in the central business district play a significant role in our community,” said Fraga. “They have limited income. Many live outside of Princeton. We want to be able to accommodate them, which is why we developed two different surveys on the website — one for businesses, and the other for residents. It’s important for us to understand what their needs are.”

The task force wants to promote a permit parking system that is fair, and addresses the needs of residents and their guests, as well as Princeton High School students and employees of downtown businesses. On-street and overnight parking regulations and increasing the town’s parking capacity are key issues.

“We want to be as transparent as possible regarding what the committee has been working on,” said Fraga. “We made it a point to share a preliminary draft of what the task force is doing, including our initial thoughts. It’s very preliminary, but we wanted to share it so that anyone can see what is guiding us. It won’t necessarily be the definitive ordinance. What I foresee is that we will be making recommendations with different options.”

The forum will start with a presentation from the subcommittee, including data gathered from the surveys. Following that, people can join small groups focused on the topics of overnight parking, daytime parking, pricing, and eligibility.

“We want to hear what they would consider a reasonable fee if there was a permit system in place,” Fraga said. “Right now, we do have some areas that have permit parking, including where I live, which is across from the high school. We have never used it because we have a driveway.”

Fraga said the task force also wants to come up with a plan that will make best use of pay parking spots that are underutilized, and maximize options for off-street parking.

“We really want to hear from people, and we’re hoping for a good representation from everyone who is impacted by this,” she said.