MPS: Rutherford, New Jersey Advances Pedestrian Safety with Expanded SafetyStick® Deployment

In dense downtown communities, limited parking availability often leads drivers to make short-term decisions that carry real safety consequences. Vehicles parked illegally near crosswalks, bus stops, and intersections may be stopped for only a moment, but they routinely block sightlines, force pedestrians into traffic, and create hazards for motorists and transit riders.

In Rutherford, N.J., those challenges were especially evident along Park Avenue, Union Avenue, Station Square, and Orient Way. These corridors serve as the core of the borough’s business districts and experience steady pedestrian activity throughout the day. Illegal parking along yellow curbs near crosswalks and intersections had become a recurring safety issue and a persistent enforcement challenge.

A New Parking Enforcement Initiative

In August 2025, the Borough of Rutherford signed an agreement for a new parking enforcement initiative, announced by the Rutherford Police Department. The agreement was signed by Borough Administrator, Robert Kakoleski, and the program went live in November 2025. The program introduced the SafetyStick® from Municipal Parking Services (MPS), an automated parking enforcement device designed to prevent illegal parking in high-risk areas and improve pedestrian safety.

According to the department’s announcement, SafetySticks photograph vehicles illegally parked in prohibited zones. The images are transmitted to the police department, where they are reviewed, and a parking summons is issued to the vehicle’s registered owner by U.S. mail.

The department emphasized that vehicles parked along yellow curbs near crosswalks and intersections create hazards for both pedestrians and motorists. SafetySticks were identified as a way to deter those behaviors while allowing officers to continue monitoring business districts for other parking and moving violations.

Moving Beyond Traditional Barriers

Before adopting SafetySticks, Rutherford relied heavily on plastic parking bollards to discourage illegal stopping. In many cases those barriers are proving ineffective. Drivers frequently drove over them or ignored them, resulting in repeated replacements that cost up to $80 per unit. Seeking a cleaner looking streetscape and a more durable and cost-efficient solution, the borough tested SafetySticks and then moved toward broader deployment beginning in November 2025.

According to a news release from the Borough of Rutherford, SafetySticks are described as a highly visible solution that monitor parking violations 24 hours a day, seven days a week, capturing photographs of illegally parked vehicles in "No Parking" zones. When a violation occurs, the device captures a photo that includes the date, time and location. After Rutherford Police personnel review and approve the evidence, a summons is mailed to the registered owner. The release states the installation is intended to prevent illegal parking near crosswalks and intersections where yellow-curb violations can create safety hazards for pedestrians and motorists, while officers continue monitoring business districts for other parking and moving violations.

How SafetyStick Works

The SafetyStick® is a solar powered device designed to monitor no-parking zones, such as a crosswalk approach, bus stop, or intersections around the clock. Using an integrated camera and secure wireless connection, it captures images of vehicles parked illegally and transmits them to the city’s enforcement system.

Once a violation is confirmed, a digital record is created, and a parking violation is automatically issued and mailed to the vehicle owner. This automated process provides consistent, unbiased enforcement while reducing the need for manual patrols, allowing police officers to remain focused on higher-priority public safety duties.

The system is also used to regulate designated 15-minute parking zones in high-density areas. Vehicles may park legally during the allowed period. Once that window expires, the SafetyStick documents the violation and submits evidence for enforcement authorization.

Phased Deployment Across the Borough

Rutherford’s SafetyStick program has expanded in defined phases. Phase I included 21 SafetySticks installed in August  2025 and during Phase 2, the Borough added 14 additional SafetySticks. The SafetySticks will protect crosswalks, bus stops, stop sign approaches, and multiple short-term parking zones along Union Avenue.

Key deployments include crosswalks at Ridge Road and Park Avenue, two of Rutherford’s busiest downtown corridors with known pedestrian safety concerns, stop sign approaches along Union Avenue and Orient Way, and several bus stops along Erie Avenue and Union Avenue. Rutherford plans to roll out additional SafetySticks in the next 3 to 6 months.