Assembly moves to ease parking lot snarls at NJ Transit lots

Getting a parking spot in New Jersey Transit train station lots can sometimes be a nightmare. The Assembly’s law and public safety committee has advanced legislation to make it easier.

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora says the measure would create a defense to a parking ticket for parking in New Jersey Transit lots reserved for permit holders if the metered spots are full.

“I think this makes good business sense,” he said Monday. “And this also encourages New Jersey Transit and the parking authorities to get off the ball and either be more flexible in allowing day trippers to utilize New Jersey transit or create more parking options.”

Gusciora says the chance of getting an $80 ticket for parking in one of those permit spots discourages people from taking mass transit. The legislation he’s sponsored would allow people to pay to park in unoccupied permit spots between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m. weekdays and all day on weekends and holidays.

The bill would require passage by the full Assembly to become law.