The Village will host a Community Forum on Downtown Parking on Tuesday, February 3 at 6:30 pm in the Youth Lounge at Village Hall.
file photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, If you’ve recently looked at the price of a commuter pass in Ridgewood, NJ, you might have done a double-take. While neighboring towns often charge a few hundred dollars, Ridgewood’s Premium Parking Permit has climbed to $1,500 for residents (and up to $1,800 for non-residents) for 2026.
Why the massive price gap? Is it just the “Ridgewood Tax,” or is there a method to the madness? Here is a breakdown of why our permits cost up to five times more than other North Jersey hubs.
The Comparison: Ridgewood vs. Neighboring Towns
To understand the frustration, you only have to look down the tracks. While every town has different rules, the price discrepancy is startling:
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Allendale: $75 for residents, $300 for non-residents for an annual permit.
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Glen Rock: Full Pass (Purchased Jan–May) $240
- Ho-Ho-Kus : $275
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Ridgewood: $1,500 for a Premium Permit (Train Station access).
3 Reasons Why Ridgewood Parking Costs More
While the Village hasn’t published a “why we’re expensive” brochure, local history and infrastructure projects point to a few key factors:
1. The “Premium” of the Hudson Street Garage
Ridgewood recently invested millions in the Hudson Street Parking Garage. High permit fees are often used to pay down the municipal bonds (debt) taken out to build such massive infrastructure. In many ways, today’s commuters are paying for the long-term solution to the village’s decades-long parking shortage.
2. Supply, Demand, and “The Price Gate”
Ridgewood is a premier transit hub with a high-frequency line to NYC. Because demand far exceeds the number of spots at the flagpole, the high price acts as a “gate.”
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The Logic: If the price were $200, the waiting list would be decades long. By pricing it higher, the Village manages the volume of cars entering the Central Business District (CBD).
3. Maintenance and Security
Maintaining a multi-level garage and several satellite lots—including snow removal, lighting, and 24/7 security—requires a dedicated budget. Unlike smaller towns with single flat lots, Ridgewood’s “Premium” tier covers access to multiple locations, providing more flexibility for the high-end commuter.
Is There a Cheaper Way?
If $1,500 feels like too much, there are other (albeit less convenient) options:
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Non-Premium Permits: Priced at $1,150, these allow parking in the Hudson Street Garage (3rd level) and the Cottage Lot, but not at the immediate Train Station lot.
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The Park and Ride: The Route 17 lot is significantly more affordable (around $975) and offers bus alternatives.
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Daily Passes: For hybrid workers, the $18 daily pass might actually save you money compared to a full annual permit if you only go in twice a week.
The Verdict
You aren’t imagining it—Ridgewood is one of the most expensive towns for parking in New Jersey. Between paying off the new garage and managing the extreme demand of a top-tier commuter town, the high cost is the price of “guaranteed” convenience.
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Why is parking free on Saturday’s between 6pm and 8pm?
Is $2.50 too much to pay for someone going to a restaurant that charges $18.00 for a martini?
We should have let the state build the parking garage they proposed on the ford dealership lot. Instead we get the condos and the Hudson street garage that we paid for
So what no one talks about is whether the demand is there that supports the prices. Are all slots fully taken? What is the demand relative to the capacity of the basis at Hudson Street and the lots near and at the train station? Would they be better able to maximize the revenues by lowering the prices some to increase the demand?
It’s all greed and the Ridgewood Premium. They know “most” people in town can afford it so why not charge it? Drop it to $500 and make it a lottery…
This is great, but remove non-residents from the mix as well.
Good part of the Ridgewood residents park at the Radburn train station in Fair Lawn. Parking & train fare much cheaper.
All that money in the train station is always locked, can’t even use the bathroom most of the time. It’s such bullshit. I remember when they restore the whole train station and spent millions of half millions, out of all that money they never replaced the windows how could that be. Who was running that job, you know they got paid off
Whatever happened to the guy who was renting space at the train station and paid his lease 2 years in a row. But has never occupied the space and was supposed to have parking spots right outside, designated for his use near the taxi stand? Friend of Vagianos?
Who knows who gets this shit, the bottom line is open the damn train station so we can use the bathroom, and we have someplace to go when it’s extremely cold is that a freeze in our asses are waiting for the train. This is bullshit. And the damn taxi stand building is a disgrace.
OK, you don’t want to open the bathrooms. People will go to the bathroom all over town. The village should be working to fix that situation with people going to the bathroom at all crazy locations. OK well then you deal with all the poop enjoy.
That’s why the tunnel and the elevator are full of disgusting human waste droppings all over the place, disgusting the place stinks
The Petri dish of the beautiful mosaic……………..