Your complaints were heard! Cape May gets new USER-FRIENDLY parking meters to replace the “old” Rhino USER-UNFRIENDLY parking meters

Visitors and locals alike will be pleased as punch to see NEW user-friendly parking meters which are slated to be installed around the Washington Street Mall and the Jackson Street parking lot by May 1, when the meters go back on in the city.

The “old” and VERY unpopular Rhino meters, purchased about five years ago, will be removed and stored until the city can find a municipality which uses them and may want to buy them. The new meters will:

• NOT be space-designated. In other words, users will buy time and get a receipt which they will put on their dashboard for police to see. Drivers can park anywhere along the Mall that accepts the Metric meters. Those parking in the Jackson Street lot, which is a 12-hour lot, can park anywhere in that lot, but CANNOT move their vehicle over to the Mall, which has a three hour parking limit.
• Be larger and hopefully more visible
• Will have a panel which can be seen in sunlight and at night
• You can pay with quarters or a credit card. The city, if council approves at its regular meeting Tuesday, Feb.15, is also expected to add acceptance of dollar bills to the payment options.

As to the handicapped parking rule, the state of News Jersey maintains that handicapped drivers can park in spaces designated as such, but must still pay the meter. However, the City of Cape May has had a policy of not ticketing handicapped drivers after the meter expires. More recently, City Council passed an amendment to the parking ordinance which states that anyone parking in a blue designated handicapped parking space does not have to pay. HOWEVER, those with handicapped signs that they put on the dashboard who park in any available parking spot DO have to pay the meter. So if you figured that one out – you should probably try your hand at the bar exam.