Madison tightens overnight-street parking permits, limits frequency and requires online tracking

The Borough of Madison introduced Ordinance 11-2025 to formalize rules and an online process for limited overnight street-parking permits. Council members discussed the measure on April 14 and the governing body approved the ordinance on first reading.

The update codifies the existing long-standing borough policy that generally prohibits overnight street parking while creating a clearer, accountable system for short-term exceptions such as driveway work or one-night guests. ‘‘It will be tracked by license,’’ the mayor said, describing a system organized by quarterly periods (January–March, April–June and so on).

Under the ordinance as presented, residents may request overnight parking online; the borough will limit approvals to five nights per quarter and prohibit consecutive nights in typical circumstances. Exceptions such as extended construction or emergency circumstances can be handled by contacting the police department, which can manually enter a permit if a resident lacks internet access.

Councilmembers raised practical questions about access and enforcement. Councilmember Tom asked whether people could still call the dispatcher if they cannot find the online form; borough staff said police can enter the request on behalf of residents in those cases. The system tracks permits by vehicle license plate rather than by residence, so a different vehicle arriving for a visit could receive a permit even if another vehicle has used the allowable nights.

The ordinance is intended to preserve the borough’s policy of keeping streets clear at night for quality-of-life and public-safety reasons while preventing repeated or abusive use of exceptions. The council advanced the ordinance on a roll-call vote and will publish the ordinance text and the updated online instructions.