1. a. Any municipality with a population of 100,000 or greater according to the most recent American Community Survey five-year estimate by the United States Census Bureau may adopt an ordinance imposing a mass transit access parking tax of three and one-half percent on fees for the parking, garaging, or storing of motor vehicles at public parking garages, lots, or facilities only. No such parking tax shall be imposed on the parking, garaging, or storing of motor vehicles at a parking lot, garage, or facility that is part of a private single or multi-family dwelling, or a condominium building, a cooperative building, or an apartment building.

b. All parking taxes collected pursuant to this section shall be anticipated and appropriated in the municipal budget as dedicated revenue pursuant to N.J.S. 40A:4-39 for the exclusive purpose of funding or financing capital improvements for pedestrian access to mass transit stations, including, but not limited to, the construction of bridges, tunnels, platforms, walkways, elevators, escalators, and stairways directly related to mass transit pedestrian accessibility; provided, however, that any parking tax revenues remaining after all the budgeted mass transit pedestrian access capital improvement expenditures have been used in a fiscal year may be used to fund quality of life projects within the municipality.

c. The parking tax authorized by this section may be collected in addition to a surcharge collected pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2013, c.284 (C. 40:48C-1.6) or a tax collected pursuant to subsection a. of section 6 of P.L.1970, c.326 (C. 40:48C-6), but the parking tax authorized by this section shall not be collected whenever a special event parking tax surcharge is collected pursuant to subsection b. of section 6 of P.L.1970, c.326 (C. 40:48C-6).

d. An ordinance adopted pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall exempt residents of the municipality from the full amount of the three and one-half percent parking tax. The exemption shall be implemented as follows:

(1) For short-term parking, a resident may apply to the municipality for a rebate of the total three and one-half percent parking tax charged as provided in the ordinance; and

(2) For long-term parking, a parking facility operator shall not charge a resident the three and one-half percent parking tax upon a display of proof of residence as provided in the ordinance.

L.2019, c.289, s.1; amended 2021, c.348.