Residential Parking Permits Eyed for New York City
City residents may soon get the exclusive right to park on the streets where they live.
After years of false starts, state and city legislators are seriously looking at a plan to establish residential parking permits in the Big Apple.
Drivers who live in designated neighborhoods and pay for a permit would be the only ones allowed to park in 80 percent of the spots.
The latest push came after Brooklyn residents began complaining that people attending events at the Barclays Center in Prospect Heights, which is set to open next year, would monopolize most of the parking spaces in their neighborhood.
The new 18,000-seat arena will only have 1,100 designated parking spots — and parking is already tight in the surrounding area.
But the push isn’t limited to those living near the future home of the Brooklyn Nets.
Other New York neighborhoods – particularly ones that have long been abused as virtual park-and-rides for mass transit commuters — have also expressed interest.
They include Harlem and the Upper East and West sides in Manhattan; Long Island City in Queens as well as Brooklyn Heights and Downtown Brooklyn.
The price of the residential permits has not been determined.
The City Council tomorrow is hosting a public hearing on a proposed state bill to give the council and city Department of Transportation the power to dish out the permits on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis.
The hearing begins 10:30 am at 250 Broadway near City Hall.
“Permit parking is long overdue in Downtown Brooklyn, Western Queens, Upper Manhattan and other communities where residents must circle for hours trying to find parking near their homes,” said state Sen. Daniel Squadron, who is co-sponsoring the legislation with another Brooklyn Democrat, Assemblywoman Joan Millman.
“The permits empower communities, and they even help small businesses,” added the senator, who called the hearing “a huge step” at getting the permit plan approved.
The council will decide whether it should endorse the plan through a home-rule message to the state Legislature.
Sources said that with the arena close to opening, there is now a groundswell of support for the council to back the plan after years of indifference by many of its members on the topic.
Councilwoman Letitia James (D-Brooklyn), who arranged the hearing, said the permits are crucial in neighborhoods near the arena like Fort Greene and Park Slope because they would discourage arena patrons from driving to events — thus reducing traffic congestion.
Under the proposed legislation, the city would determine which neighborhoods get the permit perks and what hours the new regulations would be in effect.
Residents would pay a fee for the permits, and 20 percent of all spaces in the permit zones would be made available as short term parking for nonresidents. Commercial strips would not qualify.
“We have a long way to go, but it looks like there is finally enough citywide support to make it happen,” said Judy Stanton, executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, which has long pushed for residential permit parking in the Heights.
The state Assembly is already supportive of the permit plan but the state Senate is undecided. A spokesman for Mayor Bloomberg, who was great influence over the Republican-controlled Senate, declined comment on the bill.
However, the mayor previously backed residential-permit parking as part of his failed congestion-pricing plan.
Get Out of Town
This would have solved the guests “problem” in Sodom. What are visting guests supposed to do???
to guests
Pay for a parking lot…
Crown heights resident
To number 1. What about us crown heightsers who think twice before driving to a wedding at night for fear of no parking when we get home. We don’t have a driveway and parking many times determine our plans!
to #1
let em’ take the train like we do when going to manhattan
joe
now someone has to build a parking lot… do i see ben abou???
Been saying this for years!
To #1Use the avenues.
veruka salt
Must be a bloomberg idea to raise taxes….
ridiculous comment
ridiculous comment “get out of town.” this is how the rest of the country does it in big cities so why should we be immune?
AA
To #1: they can park in the 20% of spaces available to them. Or in a parking garage.
guest
to # 1.. the people who live there and would pay for permit parking will probably get guests permis ..
Agree with #1
In a high density residential setting (e.g. apartment neigborhoods of Brooklyn) their are more residents than parking spots hence the shortages of spaces while playing “musical chairs” for an empty one. Permits won’t create any new spaces!! The fees for permits will NOT ease the shortage – it will only give parking enforcement another way to ticket you for expired or missing permits.
In other words, you will have have the same parking trouble, but now you will be paying for it.
THE SOLUTION!!
I PROPOSE THEY SET ONE SIDE OF THE STREET FOR RESIDENTS WITH SAID PERMITS, AND ONE SIDE FOR ANYONE (RESIDENTS, CUSTOMERS AND WORKERS IN THE AREA) THIS WOULD BRING INCOME FOR THE STATE BOTH FROM RESIDENTS PAYING AN ANNUAL FEE, AND FROM PEOPLE WITHOUT PERMITS PARKING AND GETTING FINES…..
I LIVE NEAR A MAIN BLOCK AND CAN NEVER PARK, OR HAVE TO WAIT SOMETIMES CIRCLING FOR AN HOUR. PEOPLE WHO WORK NEARBY WILL SOMETIMES GRAB UP THE SPOTS, AND LEAVE THEIR CARS THERE ALL DAY. THIS WILL ENCOURAGE THEM TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OR BE MORE CONSIDERATE TO RESIDENTS IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREA.
yes
a home owner pays real estate taxes that are thru the roof, at least now will get something in return,
BTW yerushalayim is just like this.
To #13
Do you think the Residential Parking Permits will be given out for FREE??? Noooo!! You will be paying and expect annual increases to the fees!! Yes you pay property taxes but right now you can park for free overnight. Soon, very soon, you will pay dearly for that privilege.
And don’t think if you pay for a Permit – at least you will have an easier time finding a parking spot. No siree! We will ALL buy permits and we will all be circling the block trying to find the elusive spot.
And by not getting a permit – there will be one more TOTALLY NEW way to ticket you!
Oh, and if you have a family member visiting for a couple of days from another neighborhood or from out-of-town, unless you PAID for a MONTHLY Visitors Permit – they will be getting a ticket!!
This is a WIN-Win for the city coffers and a LOSE-LOSE situation for all of us. SMARTEN UP: WHO GAINS FROM THSI??? Need I say more??!!