Mayor Tim Schultz discusses a compliment by Walkable Jenkintown, wishing its borough was like Hatboro.
Dino Ciliberti, Patch Staff
|Updated Wed, Apr 23, 2025 at 8:33 am ET
EASTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — With the warmer weather, officials operating boroughs hope residents will walk the streets, browse businesses, and enjoy community offerings.
Hatboro has brought back First Fridays to encourage such efforts, with the second one scheduled on May 2.
Mayor Tim Schultz has heard the complaints from residents: the borough needs to modernize, its York Road business district is too crowded, a lack of parking, and its businesses are littered with too many nail salons and tattoo parlours.
But Patch told him about what another nearby Montgomery County town said about Hatboro that made him proud.
Walkable Jenkintown —an organization that promotes making Jenkintown a Pedestrian-First Community — tipped its cap to Hatboro in a recent Facebook post.
Find out what's happening in Hatboro-Horshamfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"Went to Hatboro where I parked on York Road, paid an actual quarter to park for one hour, and walked safely along its busy and growing business district," Walkable Jenkintown said. "A Jenkintown resident can only dream."
"That's good to hear," Schultz said. "We have always found that Jenkintown is like Hatboro."
Schultz said the difference for both boroughs is York Road.
While York Road gets clogged with traffic coming from Warminster through Hatboro, Jenkintown has traffic going from Abington to Philadelphia.
Jenkintown does feature more restaurants and the Hiway Theater, besides shops around Jenkintown Square.
Hatboro's downtown business district is limited to York Road. The borough has also increased its walkability opportunities, in seeking more foot traffic, by amending an ordinance allowing apartment construction on a stretch of York Road.
Construction has started on two apartment projects in Hatboro.
Schultz said that the parking issue in Hatboro is a "misnomer," that there are plenty of spots available for shoppers downtown. The mayor mentioned parking behind Produce Junction as a prime location.
Hatboro Borough Manager Diane Hegele told Patch that the Produce Junction lot is not for public parking, but only for those stores in the immediate area.
The mayor also said that paying for parking is simple in the borough, while others use apps for parking.
"How to pay for parking is a big deal," the mayor said. "Putting a quarter in or a credit card is easy."
"Even in the most successful traditional business districts, you will find businesses that complain, especially about the lack of parking. As far as some businesses are concerned, you can't have enough parking," Walkable Jenkintown posted in an update Wednesday following the Patch post. "However, the leaders of these communities wisely understand that acres and acres of free parking is not a benefit but a burden upon the community. You can either have a district designed for cars or for people, and the one designed for people generate more value and help keep taxes lower."