Do Chatham Township Commuters Get Less Sleep?
Several long-held beliefs about commuter parking at the Chatham train station were confirmed by preliminary results of a survey conducted on September 4th by members of the Chatham Township Democratic Party, including Chatham Township Committee candidate Celeste Fondaco. 259 commuters were asked where they resided, and if they parked at the station, walked to the train, or took the jitney. Of the 400 parking spaces at the Chatham station, 200 are metered spots, while 200 are permitted spaces issued only to Borough residents. Before 1995, Township residents could purchase permits. Now Township residents are relegated to daily metered spaces on a first-come first-served basis. Survey organizer Richard Barrett noted that 62% of respondents who parked before 7:00 AM were from the Township, as compared to only 28% from the Borough. (10% were from other towns.) However, after 7:00 AM, Township parkers dropped to 23% of those surveyed vs. 73% from the Borough, permit-holders who filled their
