Campaign volunteers hand out flyers to drivers while they’re sitting in their cars.
There’s a new advocacy group promoting the need for a citywide residential parking permit system. The campaign, NYC Resident Parking, is being led by retired Upper West Side attorney Renee Baruch. The goal is to have parking permits allocated to local residents by district, while also allowing street parking for retail and commercial business owners and their employees, according to a press release provided to ILTUWS.
Advertisement
“Virtually every city in the world has some form of a residential parking permit system,” said Baruch in the press release. “On the Upper West Side, we are now seeing an increasing number of cars with out-of-state license plates, largely for people with second homes claimed as primary residences and who would rather not pay the higher insurance to register in New York City. From our standpoint, if they don’t want to pay income taxes to the city and contribute to enforcement and sanitation, then let them rent space in a garage or park at a meter and leave the curbside spaces they are hogging for those of us who choose to pay our way here!”
At an October 2019 Community Board 7 panel meeting discussing residential parking permits on the Upper West Side, former Manhattan Borough DOT Commissioner Ed Pincar detailed what he expected of the department over the next decade. “If the last 10 years was focused on trying to develop a series of tools for safer streets, I think curb management is going to be the theme for the next 10 years,” reported Gothamist. Pincar went on to say, “Particularly as technology improves, it would be great if there were different spots on a block that are charged different amounts and maybe have different times.”
“New York City is the only major city in the country that doesn’t have some element of a residential-parking permit program,” said current Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine in a 2019 story by StreetsBlog titled “Residential-Parking Permits: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?” The piece points out previous politicians who’ve tried to get such a campaign off the ground, with little to no success. One such effort was made by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2008. Levine also sponsored legislation in 2018 to “amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the creation of a residential parking permit system in Northern Manhattan.” The bill introduced by current Commissioner of the Department of Transportation, Ydanis Rodrigues, did not pass.
Advertisement
Council Member Gale Brewer, who was Manhattan Borough President at the time, presented a white paper in 2019 showing how seven other major cities around the world — including London, Stockholm, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Oregon — have handled their resident parking permit programs. In the conclusion of the report, Brewer stated, “It should be noted that in a city as litigious as New York, there may be legal challenges to any RPP system.” Indeed, the DOT testified at a 2018 City Committee Council hearing on transportation that without state authorization, the city may be “… prohibited from restricting highway use — including parking — based on residency.”
Brewer went on to say: “There is, however, another legal view that the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law, Section 1642, grants New York City the necessary authority and that courts would support an RPP program as long as sufficient metered spots are still made available to visitors.”
Renee Baruch and members of her nonprofit group have been canvassing the city while people sit in their vehicles during alternate-side parking hours, passing out flyers while they wait for street cleaners to come through.
For more information or to register to volunteer, please visit www.NYCResidentParking.org.
This….is a good idea?
Yes…it is.
We know already why this program will not succeed unless it is priced appropriately. The city of Hoboken, NJ has a resident parking program which charges $52 a year for the first vehicle per household, $104 for the 2nd car, and $208 for the 3rd and more vehicles.
https://www.hobokennj.gov/resources/standard-parking-permit
The result of this has been that there are ~15,000 permits and only 10,000 spots. This group should be clear that the fees will have to be much higher than Hoboken’s fees.
https://www.hobokengirl.com/hoboken-nj-street-parking-explained/
I think the promoters of this scheme need to clarify that the cost will need to be high enough to ensure adequate parking for all permit-holders. I also think they need to consider how much to charge for non-residents. My recommendation would be to charge the same price as the rest of the metered parking in our neighborhood, for the same hours as the nearest metered street.
The major problem with this is there are so many cars that never leave their spot. In my UWS neighborhood there was almost half a block of cars that never moved. It was like they’ve owned them for years and only rarely use them so it leads to less parking spaces for those who use their vehicles and have guests.
All car owners are freeloaders, and the city should raise money for mass transit and bike infrastructure by charging out the nose for these parking permits. No reason why people should get to store their private property for free on a public street. There can be some free or discounted permits for the few people who have a legitimate reason to own a car like a disability. “Rich and too good for the subway” isn’t a good reason.
Good idea. I’m a car owner and always have been for the past a quarter of a century. Too many cars with the NJ plates parked in the City. And what’s the deal with the bicycles stations all over taking the precious space? Only punks who have no respect for traffic law use them and create dangerous situations on the City streets. Get rid of them.
“All car owners are freeloaders”
I own a car in the city because I commute up north to West Chester and there are no train stations near my place of work. Not everyone who has a car in the city is a freeloader despite the fact that you happen to be anti-car. Some of us actually need them to live.
park your car at nearest train station to workplace. take train to and from your car. problem solved. you will save time, money, gas.
This is a bad idea. 100% of parking spots should be metered. Space is the most valuable resource in our neighborhood, we shouldn’t give it away for free, residents or not. Plus, we need to be removing parking spaces over time in favor of other things like containers to hold trash instead of letting it rot and attract rats on the side of the road. Creating residential permits will only make taking away these unproductive parking spots harder since they’ll have a built-in constituency.
Um, okay, except people legitimately travel from New Jersey to the UWS, saw a Wyoming plate on pickup this spring.
On street overnight parking was illegal in Manhattan until 1950. Perhaps it’s time to reinstate that law.
Also large apartment buildings are now being built without parking within them — something that used to be required. That’s not just parking for building residents before I see replies that pretend that apartment building parking only ever for residents. Specifically: There should have been parking where Trader Joe’s is at West 72nd and parking in the Target space north of Columbus Circle.
Garaging cars, especially not ones used every day, or even every week, reduces congestion, and frequently reduces liability insurance rates for car owners.
If congestion pricing ever becomes a reality, the UWS will be even more overrun by people from Westchester, Connecticut and New Jersey trying to find free parking every morning. So something has to be done. I’d prefer getting rid of cars altogether.
” So something has to be done. I’d prefer getting rid of cars altogether.”
Okay, so that means getting rid of jobs that are in the middle of NJ, just for example.
It means people getting rid of many second homes in places like the Hudson Valley.
And it means vastly improved regionwide public transit 24 hours a day.
Or do you mean everyone is to have a (or have access to) cold fusion powered flying saucer for travel to places like the middle of Connnecticut?
read this jay
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/05/new-york-cars-free-covid-open-streets
Stuart:
The answer is no cars can’t be banned.
Also the Guardian writer clearly wasn’t here during the pandemic. I was. I didn’t leave Manhattan for more than 12 months.
The cumulative damage done by cars far outweighs your right to go to your Hudson valley house on the weekend. Take the train.
An extremely selfish view! There are lots of people that have a need for cars that don’t involve a vacation home. Get off your high horse!
Stuart M:
What are you willing to give up?
Yes, I’m allowed to have a house in the Hudson Valley (something I don’t have) and I can also have a job in the middle of NJ.
You’re being more than a bit selfish with your proclamations.
I see you addressed not one of my points about vastly improved regionwide (Boston and Philadelphia included) public transit.
I don’t think cars should be banned but free parking means I am subsidizing car owners. I think primary rrsidents should get a yearly permit so they don’t need to feed the meter. otherwise they need to pay for the space. trure hardship cases could get a discount or free.
residents who park on the streets rarely use metered locations on the UWS.
business owners some times use metered spots for the day.
I 100% approve this idea. UWS residents, business owners and people who work here should be able to park on the street for a nominal fee. For the people here who are saying get rid of all cars and that no one should park on the street… well what about the policeman, fireman, teachers, EMTs, etc… who serve the UWS? You’re going to tell them to park in a garage? Not only is that shortsighted, it’s disrespectful. There are people who live on the UWS who need their cars to reverse commute and take care of family members – you’re going to also tell them to park in a garage they cannot afford? The thought that parking is free space for storage is another narrow minded view – all residents who live on the UWS and/or work in the city; pay NYC tax – how do you think the city is run? Monopoly money? So tired of the woke progressive liberal view that everything needs to be taken away and paved over with a bike lane….we need a new CB and an entire new City Council – along with a new mayor….
I agree,we pay taxes, we pay car insurance, why I am going to pay to park my car in the street where I, have been living for the past 30 years….please…
“Rich and too good for the subway.” Clearly spoken by someone who has the LUXURY – – yes, the LUXURY of being able to take the subway to work. Not everyone can. And RICH? Ha!
Meanwhile – back to reality….. this is a REAL issue for REAL people with REAL money problems – like “I can’t work without a car and why is NYC the only major city on earth that hasn’t addressed this yet?” It’s been tested, it works, and, as per usual, NYC is way behind the pack.
Renee Baruch for Mayor!!!
The people who park on the street are neighborhood residents. Let’s penalize car owners who can’t afford to garage their cars. More taxes on the middle class and more bureaurocracy. Just what we need.
It will not work at all unless the price is over $500/month (which is roughly half the price of local garages). Given the density of the UWS, demand just from residents will ALWAYS exceed supply. Any outsiders we discourage will be replaced by locals. At present only 25% of UWS households own a car. Some who currently garage them will move onto the streets if parking is easier. Other households will buy cars if parking is perceived as more available. The end result is an equilibrium similar to what we have today. This is a well documented phenomenon called “induced demand”.
The idea is not to guarantee parking spots for permit holders, it’s to stop people who live in the city from illegally registering cars elsewhere (primarily Pennsylvania), depriving the city of much-needed revenue. Live in the city and own a car? Register your car here and pay for a residential permit. Commuter or visitor from out of town? Park at a meter or in a garage.
as long as I am not subsidizing parking for residents I am good. this is a city densely seved by mass transit. while there are some with hardships I am 100%;sure most car owners it’s a luxury they should pay for. we can sure set up a hardship program.
I support this 100%!
I’m too good for the subway.
I’m too good for the bus.
I’m too good for Uber.
I will store my car on public property.
I want legislation to protect my right to this public property.
I want legislation to subsidize my right to this public property.
You will pay for someone to clean around my car.
But my second home! (I’m also too good for trains.)
People don’t simply use personal cars as substitutes for the subway, bus, or Uber/Lyft.
They use them to go to jobs in the middle of NJ, they use them to visit friends and family out of town, they use them to go to house they have in the “country”.
Overnight street parking was illegal in Manhattan until 1950. Perhaps that should be law again, but it means requiring that developers build parking garages in new big apartment buildings.
Specifically, nether the new Target space north of Columbus Circle on Broadway, nor the Trader Joe’s at West 72nd and Broadway should have ever been anything but parking.
No, this parking would NOT be just for building residents.
@good humor:
I should add: Trains don’t go near many second homes.
You really don’t seem familiar with life in NYC for a significant number of the residents.
Can’t wait for it to get abused in 0.5 seconds. Love walking by a church in my neighborhood with cars parked using “clergy” parking passes for a church building that’s been unused for probably 2 decades.
W72 st all around is so many car for another state, forget about NJ they come park the car up west side and take the train to work , I see this so many time, just park the my in front of me NJ plate wish can send a picture
Just parking the car in w 72 st , in front of me a lady with Pennsylvania plates she is taken two car space to park, can’t believe, another car ask he to move forward she say no,is. No wait to post a picture in here to show you