Mayor Rolls Out Resident Parking Permit Proposal

Sounds good on paper but it will never work

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 9:31 AM

Am hoping neither Congestion Pricing (as currently proposed, however well-intentioned, gets forgotten in current Albany situation) nor the completely idiotic bureaucratic make-life-more-complicated permit parking plan happens.
If they do happen - perhaps Brownstoner's new (very offensive) advertiser (OpalRidge)can add both of them to their list for 'Top Reasons to Leave Brooklyn'.

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 9:43 AM

I live in Boerum Hill and have been exposed first hand to the misguided grass roots effort to push this parking permit regime on the neighborhood.

Compared to other neighborhoods in the city, it is not very difficult to find a parking space in Boerum Hill. As long as you are willing to abide by the alternate side of the street parking rules, you can always find a spot.

If passed, this effort will change this. The minority of people willing to put up with red tape to get a parking permit will be happy that they don't have to leave the comfort of their brownstone to move the car twice a week. The majority of people who park in the neighborhood and are too busy to spend their time fighting at numerous community meetings will be left out in the cold.

If you look at the cars regularly parked in the neighborhood, you notice that many have out of state plates. None of these cars will be eligible for parking. Not everyone who lives in Brooklyn, is required to be a NY State resident and putting restrictions on drivers who have a residence in Brooklyn but register their car elsewhere smells of Constitutional Law issues.

Personally, I park my car in a garage near the Fulton Mall. The monthly fee is expensive ($175) but is the price I pay for not having to move my car. If you want to have a permanent parking space, I suggest you do the same. You can get what you need with out taking away from the rest of society.

If you really want to help the environment, get rid of you car and take public transportation. Boerum Hill is in close proximity to nearly all the Subways that come to Brooklyn.

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 10:18 AM

10:18 -- What do you mean not everyone who lives in Brookyln is not "required" to be a NY State resident? One either is or is not a NY State resident. Under the Vehicle and Traffic law (Sec 250(5)), having a "place of abode" in this state for more than 90 days is considered presumptive evidence that one is a resident and thus requires registering the auto here.

See http://www.nysdmv.com/vtl.htm

Conceivably you could own a pied-a-terre here but spend most of the year in Florida. If that's the case, I am not going to cry for you that you are not allowed to have resident's parking permit for the three months a year that you are in Brooklyn.

(BTW, I use the same garage for exaclt ythe same reason -- the price of not having to move my car every other day.)

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 10:58 AM

agree that this is unlikely to go anywhere soon, with things in Albany being what they are at the moment.

that said, resident's parking permits can be perfectly workable in places where parking is scarce. I used to live in London, where parking is just as much of an issue as it is here. Resident's parking was implemented on most residential streets near Tube stations, to keep people from just driving in from other neighborhoods, parking and then getting on the train to commute to their offices. It works pretty well. You get allocated a permit based on your residency in the neighborhood. Each family gets one, so if you have 2 cars, you're out of luck for parking the second one in the permit zone (but there are always non-permit streets open, just further away from the Tube).

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 11:23 AM

It will go through quicker with Patterson. Harlemites are pushing for this because they would get the brunt of the park and ride crowd if CP is approved.

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 12:31 PM

I think this is a money grab by the city which will be inexpensive at first but rise immediately (if implemented). What about contractors trucks (brownstones are always being renovated - how is that sheetrock going to get into the house) or plumbers, what about people going to the doctor? What about having friends come and visit if they don't live locally. The people who are most vocal about using public transit seem to be young and healthy. What about older people, people with small children. Can they stand at a bus stop in subfreezing temps waiting for a bus. I love and use public transporation, but there are times - as when I broke my leg recently - that using my car became a necessity. As I pay taxes to register my car, I feel I have given the city/state what I owe them for my car. The city is always looking for new ways to raise money and this is just an excuse for new, expensive fees. They don't seem to even think about the down stream effects of a plan like this and we should trust them with the implementation? I don't think so.

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 12:38 PM

"The minority of people willing to put up with red tape to get a parking permit will be happy that they don't have to leave the comfort of their brownstone to move the car twice a week." Most people will not find it too onerous to submit an application annually. This will not eliminate street cleaning regulations.

"Not everyone who lives in Brooklyn, is required to be a NY State resident and putting restrictions on drivers who have a residence in Brooklyn but register their car elsewhere smells of Constitutional Law issues." I doubt that there are any constitutional issues here. Imagine as a corrolary, people with two homes who are only entitled to vote in one place. And since those people increase my insurance burden, I find it hard to drum up much sympathy for them.

"Give one northern neighborhood the 'privilege' of parking permits and the kick back will be to all the neighborhoods in the south...and so on...and so on." The program proposes that neighborhoods can "opt-in" so if Park Slope gets RPP and Windsor Terrace finds it has a problem, it can opt in too.

The thing that I find awkward is the variability of the regulations. How am I supposed to keep track of differing regulations in Park Slope, Bay Ridge, etc.?

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 12:45 PM

WIT THE NEW TAX PLAN IS 5 TIMES MONEY EQUALS MILLIONS OF DALLARS BUT NOT FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

1) THE TAX FROM LOCAL RESIDENT FOR THE PRIVILEGE TO PARK IN THE FRONT OF YOUR HOSE

2) THE TAX FOR ALL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO PAY A PLUS TAX FOR DOING BUSINESS

3) TICKETING EVERYBODY WHO WILL PARK VS THE LAW( EVERY CAR WHO IS REGISTER IN NYC HAVE PAID A MINIMUM OF 100 DOLLARS IN PARKING TICKETS EVERY YEAR)

4) THE FEDERAL BIG MONEY FOR THE CITY -"NOT ANY PAY BACK FOR THE LOCAL RESIDENT WHO WILL SUFFER FROM THE PARK AND RIDE AND ALL OUTER NEW REGULATION'S (CALL IT TAX SCAMS)

5) ALL NEW GARAGE SYSTEMS BUSINESS WHO WILL COME UP IN NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE WIILIAMSBURG TO PROVIDE THE PARK IN RIDE FOR OUTSIDERS AND THAT TAX WILL NOT GO TO THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOODS

5 TIMES MONEY EQUALS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 12:46 PM

I was born in 1956. That is one year after they started construction on the 2nd Ave subway. Congestion pricing? Need I say more?

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 12:52 PM

I live in Bay Ridge on the X27/X37 express bus lines and near the R subway line. In the 19 years since I bought my house, I have seen parking go from convenient to difficult to impossible at night -- and terrible on alternate side days.

My block is a small half-block with only 28 single-family homes. We all know each other, our kids and our cars. Many of the cars parked on my block are not residents of my block and not a few have NJ plates.

During one 3-week period last year when the weather and holidays caused suspension of alternate side parking, the same non-resident vehicle was legally "stored" in front of my house -- that's one - two - three weeks!

I believe that some limited residential parking would be beneficial to taxpayers (income and property). But limit it to only alternate side days. That will be enough to keep out-of-town/state commuters from getting in the bad habit of bypassing public transit service from their own communities, parking free at my expense, then and jumping onto NYC transit for the last leg of their commute to work.

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 3:17 PM

More suited to Pyongyang than to Brooklyn.
Brooklyn peasants are not nearly as docile as those in North Korea.

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 4:47 PM

Certain residents in certain places made a lot of noise to get permit parking proposed but if it actually looks like it might happen the local business owners will emerge and protest it big time. They just still need to get organized but it will happen so get ready.

The way to stop the selfish idiots from Jersey who drive to Brooklyn, clog up our streets with their cars then take the subway to work, is charge the heck out of them for even driving into the city. I support that plan 100%. Why can't they leave the congestion plan just at that? Oh and what's so superior about living in NJ suburbs again if you have such a complicated commute? Those people chose to live there so they should take the train into NYC like they're supposed to.

Question - if a homeowner does not own a car (like tons of us) but does get visitors sometimes who have a car, do those homeowners without a car themselves receive a parking permit to use for visitors? This is so not well considered all of this. What a mess.

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 6:29 PM

i have a newsflash, most people in NJ hate the idea of having to set foot in Brooklyn more than you know. as much as brooklynites disdain the suburbs, it is nothing in comparison with the reverse sentiment.
The problem is that there are too many damn people in Brooklyn and our subways are terrible and the transit authority is a badly managed money hole accountable to no one.
NY is the poster child for why and how mass transit is not sustainable in the US, $2 per noisy smelly crowded ride and going up!

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 7:32 PM

There is no other system in the world that compete with the NYCTA. They cover more ground, service more people and have been operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for well over 100 years for $2 a ride and free transfers. Yes they are in need of improvements but clearly we've got the best. Disclaimer: I do not work for the NYCTA or any subsidiary.

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 8:10 PM

You think the city has problems dealing with the LEGAL parking placards they hand out, not to mention their illegal brethren?
This is going to be much, much worse. Get those color copiers working ... such a joke.

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 8:36 PM

I've lived in two cities with a parking permit program - Boston and Philadelphia - and I believe I can safely say two things:

1. The permits did nothing to free up parking spaces in either city, since most of the street spots were occupied by neighborhood residents in the first place.

2. Neighborhood-specific permits made it a real bear to drive to another part of town to visit a friend, since you couldn't park when you got there.

Posted by: guest at March 13, 2008 10:51 PM

"i have a newsflash, most people in NJ hate the idea of having to set foot in Brooklyn more than you know. as much as brooklynites disdain the suburbs, it is nothing in comparison with the reverse sentiment."

Then why the hell are you reading a blog about BROOKLYN? Bored with your dull ugly Jersey suburbs? Bitter about your bad investment?

Posted by: guest at March 14, 2008 12:05 AM

Visitors won't be able to park on the permit streets in the evenings, 11:33 and yes that's a problem and no it's not just occasional. Many of us have many friends and family who live outside the city and drive in to see us and hang out.

Posted by: guest at March 14, 2008 12:08 AM