To leave a car at the West Haven train station parking lot, drivers are supposed to pay $6 a day on weekdays or have a commuter pass. But the state Department of Transportation says people are parking without paying at an alarming rate, and now they’re cracking down.
“If that’s the law then they should pay,” said commuter, Elizabeth Sanchez.
It says the problem is that there is a kiosk system, which leaves drivers to pay on an honor system. The lot is open. There are no gates, and no one is enforcing the parking rules.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” said Dasia Boroughs of West Haven. “If they’re not being questioned or enforced, then obviously people are not paying.”
“I think that’s kind of messed up. People really should pay,” said India Green of West Haven.
A spokesperson for the DOT tells us it recently got the authority from the state legislature to enforce the parking fee in this lot. By enforcing the parking fees, the DOT is hoping it will open up more spaces for those people who do pay.
“They don’t even use the train,” Green said. “They just park here quickly, run across the street quickly.”
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There is no exact date yet for when enforcement will begin.
