SOUTH ORANGE, NJ —
Photos Courtesy of Robin Patric
Two South Orange jitneys now have bike racks mounted to them, allowing riders to stow their bicycles while traveling through the village. While only two jitneys have the racks, they will be rotated throughout all jitney routes.
Cell phone parking now villagewide
Cash-free parking has come to the whole village. “Mobile Now,” the pay-by-cell parking- payment option, piloted for the last two years by the South Orange Parking Authority, is now available throughout town.
Mobile Now was introduced in 2013 at South Orange and Mountain train stations. As of Aug. 7, it is available at all pay stations and single-space electronic meters.
Drivers pay by phone for the maximum time allowed or less. A cell phone warning is emitted when time is about to expire. Time is not displayed on meters themselves, and any add-on must be completed before the current session expires.
The system works with any cell phone. Simple instructions for setting up a Mobile Now account appear on every meter. Once the account is established, simply park and phone in the space number displayed on the meter. There’s no need to use coins — though all meters continue to take dimes and quarters. In a rush? Pay while already walking to the next destination or the train.
Every meter bears a prominent identifying number in a red, white and blue label, which also lists a phone number and website should you require assistance.
Officers enforce the meters by logging onto the Mobile Now website to determine payment status.
New jitney route covers Audley, Lenox, W. Montrose
The South Orange Parking Authority is adding a south-to-north jitney route serving two previously uncovered neighborhoods in South Orange. The route will launch Tuesday, Sept. 8, with morning, evening and late-night service.
The new route connects the Audley and Lenox side of town with Wyoming Avenue stops previously served by the Newstead bus. It ends with pickups on the north end of town at West Montrose and Vose avenues.
The new route brings changes to the Newstead schedule, which is now slightly shorter. New and revised schedules are available on the bus, online or in the SOPA office.
Bring your bike on the South Orange jitney
Bike riders can now use the South Orange jitney and bring their bicycles along for the ride. The South Orange Parking Authority is expanding options by combining two popular modes of transportation, according to a recent release.
Bicycle racks are now mounted on the front ends of the No. 734 and No. 735 jitneys and no additional cost is incurred for using them. Jitneys with racks are rotated throughout all jitney routes, and more could be similarly equipped in the future.
The stainless-steel racks, made by SportWorks, hold three bikes each. Only single-seat, two-wheeled bicycles are permitted. If the rack is full, cycling customers should be prepared to wait for the next bus with a rack.
Cyclists are responsible for loading and unloading their bicycles from the rack. Jitney drivers will not be permitted to assist. To use the racks, cyclists must remove any large baggage from their bikes. All baggage must accompany the rider on the bus.
Before boarding a jitney, cyclists must first alert the jitney driver that they will be loading their bicycle. If no other bicycle is in position, they must lower the rack by squeezing the center handle; load the bike into the empty wheel well closest to the bus, with the front wheel facing the curb; pull the spring-loaded support arm out and upward, and fasten it over the front tire at the highest point of the wheel to hold the bicycle in place.
Locks cannot be used to secure bicycles to the racks, but the front wheel can be locked to the bicycle frame before the bus arrives.
On leaving the bus, cyclists should tell the driver they’ll be removing the bicycle, unload the bike and, if no other bicycles remain, stow the rack against the bus in the upright position.
For details, contact the South Orange Parking Authority at 973-378-7715, ext. 2037, or at SOPA@southorange.org.
2016 parking fees announced
With the new Third Street garage set to open in January, the South Orange Parking Authority has announced revised parking fees for 2016. The new schedule was approved by the Parking Authority Board on Aug. 18 as follows:
• Garage Permit, resident: monthly $70; quarterly $210, semi-annual $420, annual $700.
• Garage Secondary, resident: monthly $50; quarterly $150, semi-annual $300, annual $450.
• Jitney Daily Fee: $2 each way.
• Annual Resident Jitney Pass: $300.
• Garage/Jitney Combo Pass: garage permit $700, jitney fee $150.
• Secondary/Jitney Combo Pass: secondary permit $450, jitney fee $150.
• Daily Garage Fee, general public: $1 per hour, or $7 maximum per day up to 6 p.m.