PARKING DUDE ABIDES: Navigating the Strikes and Gutters of the Hoboken Parking Hellscape

We’ve all had our mind-numbing, soul-crushing, tear-jerking, heart-palpitating experiences with the anguish that is Hoboken parking.

It’s tough enough to actually find a spot. Then there’s the arguably overzealous enforcement of regulations, carried out by the hyper-vigilant Hoboken Parking Utility.

Well, the Dude minds. This will not stand, ya know… this aggression will not stand, man.

According to Founder and CEO Andrew Impastato, Parking Dude has, “every on-street parking spot programmed into the app, to create a grid for the city of Hoboken.” The grid will help each user identify what side of the street parking is permitted for visitors and residents, while outlining the legal rules for parking is permitted with or without a permit, or when you do or don’t have to pay the meters.

Where’s your car, dude???
Say you left something of value in the car… a tape deck, some Creedence tapes, a briefcase. Parking Dude will give you or friends/family members step-by-step directions to a recently parked car. It also helps a user avoid costly street cleaning and parking violation fines by alerting car owners the night before, the morning of, and a few hours before street cleaning occurs.

Parking Dude will also notify the owner if a “Temporary No Parking” sign has been posted in parked car’s location, or if a parked car is located in snow plow zone or a flood zone during severe weather.

“The way we look at it,” says Impastato, “if we can save somebody a $45 parking fee, then we’ve done our job.”

In addition, Parking Dude will allow users to have their car shoveled out during the Winter or even washed clean during the Summer, sending a street team to the car at the push of a button.

Using patent-pending technology that draws from crowd-sourcing and data aggregation, the goal is to create an interactive forum to communicate with other residents via the Parking Dude website.

“The capabilities are evolving,” says Impastato. “The app will offer a lot of different services down the road.”

Keep an eye out for Parking Dude—launching soon here in Hoboken. I don’t know about you but I take comfort in that. It’s good knowin’ he’s out there. The Dude. Takin’ ‘er easy for all us sinners…

TIP: Parking Dude suggests you not park outside Larry’s house…