BROOKLYN, NY [CBS] — If a Brooklyn councilman has his way, city residents who own cars could be given exclusive rights to park within their neighborhoods.
NYC Councilman Pushing Exclusive Parking Rights
BROOKLYN, NY [CBS] — If a Brooklyn councilman has his way, city residents who own cars could be given exclusive rights to park within their neighborhoods.
Many city residents say the idea is a long time in coming. They think they should get the right to park on the streets where they live.
Others say not so fast.
“You should get what you deserve … a parking space at the very least,” said Nance Kass of Brooklyn Heights.
Added Ida Guterman of Brooklyn Heights: In any area where there is so little parking that’s what it should be, although if there would be a good public transportation it would be even better.“
Brooklyn councilman David Yassky has heeded the call, and is pushing a plan to give out parking permits allowing only local residents the right to park on their streets during the day.
”We’re never going to make it so there’s a space on the street for everybody who lives in New York City, but we can make it a little easier in some of the high density neighborhoods,“ Yassky said.
Yassky’s plan would allow people to park on their neighborhood’s streets from, say, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a permit … for a fee, of course.
”It is impossible to find on-street parking,“ Yassky said. ”People circle for half an hour, 45 minutes looking for a space.“
How bad is it? Well, in Park Slope on Seventh Avenue from Union Street to 12th Street there are 194 legal parking spaces. But according to the 2000 census, 12,087 people live in that area.
”If you live here you should get a permit to park here,“ resident Robbie Kass said.
Not everyone agrees.
”People in other parts of the city don’t have specific privileges,“ said Michael Dansbury of Crown Heights. ”Why here as opposed to elsewhere? Why here as opposed to Harlem?“
”No, I don’t think that it’s fair,“ said Bucky Hayes of Park Slope. ”People should not have special privileges. Parking should be first come first serve.“
”No, I don’t think parking spaces should be owned by anybody,” added Reedfa Adbi, also of Park Slope.
The parking permits would cost between $20 and $50 and guest passes would be available.
Permits have already been issued in surrounding communities like Yonkers, Rye, Tarrytown, Bronxville, Pelham and Peekskill.
But when CBS 2 HD spoke to Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday he was cool to the idea.
Janet
7th Avenue is a really bad example: most of those spots are metered and “rented” largely by the business owners and workers who feed the meters all day long.
Park Slope is so well served by public transportation that most residents don’t need to have cars, and if only the residents are allowed to park, what of the people who work in the neighborhood or who come to the neighborhood for doctor’s appointments or to patronize local businesses?