Hudson committee advances plan to centralize parking, install kiosks and EV chargers

The Hudson Parking Committee on Jan. 28 reviewed a multi-phase plan to modernize the city’s parking system, including replacing meters with kiosks, installing three EV charging stations (six ports), consolidating parking enforcement and revenue collection inside the Hudson Police Department and contracting a short-term consultant to guide the transition.

Committee members said the plan would phase kiosk installation across downtown and municipal lots, change pricing and eliminate most permits in favor of a plate-based system. Council member Jennifer Belton, who led the presentation, said the South Front Street lot would move to $10 per day and $50 per week, municipal lot rates would be 75 cents up to 12 hours, and on-street parking would be $1 per hour, capped at two hours.

The committee discussed where kiosks and signage would go — including Warren Street, portions of Union Street, Columbia Street (Escobar lot) and lots between Worth and Prospect — and reviewed a timeline that places the initial South Front Street work in the current fall/spring phase and broader kiosk replacement in spring and summer phases. Belton said the plan includes three physical EV charging stations with six ports and new signage for those spaces.

On governance, Belton said…