New York – Circling for Parking Wastes Hundreds of Thousands of Miles

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    New York – New York City drivers waste hundreds of thousands of miles just looking for a parking space.

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    That’s the finding of a new study by the group Transportation Alternatives.

    The study estimates that circling for a space burns $130,000 a year in gas _ not to mention about 50,000 hours of the drivers’ time. And the resulting emissions hurt the environment.

    Assemblywoman Linda B. Rosenthal is urging the city’s Department of Transportation to explore changes in the parking meter system.

    Transportation Alternatives says higher metered parking rates during peak hours might boost turnover and create more vacancies. It says that could ease congestion and reduce double-parking.


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    21 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    How about a massive campaign to open up more parking spaces? It is ridiculous that we have a system of bus stops and fire hydrants that manage to eliminate entire blocks from parking without any added measure of safety to anyone. Do bus stops need to take up that much space, or do they block that much to increase revenue from parking tickets? Could hydrants be spaced so that the space overlaps with other parking restrictions and opens up more room to park legally? Can those hydrants that have no water connections underground and cannot help to fight fires be eliminated? How about those shuls that have “No Parking at Anytime” signs that do not need parking blocked there? How about construction sites that do not do work at night? How about prior sites of construction where work has been completed, but the “No Parking” signs remain for weeks or months to enable more ticket writing? This list can go on much longer.

    For every space opened up, there is savings in time, energy, pollution, and money. Will anyone consider it, or are we committed to making parking more restricted so that we can balance the NYC city budget on the backs of drivers?

    anonymous
    anonymous
    15 years ago

    thats why you need to have savlanus (patience) to sit in the car and wait for a spot to open up. staking out spots is much eiaser than circling like a goylem and then missing a chance

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    how about having the hydrants and bus stops in the same place? That would help a lot!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    If ppl who have driveways actually use them and use them efficiently, many spaces would open up, but then again, when have brooklynites been known for common courtesy and thinking about someone other than themselves

    anonymous
    anonymous
    15 years ago

    People don’t park in their own driveways because they get blocked in by others who are thinking only of themselves.

    Personally I often park in front of my driveway instead of in it. It is legal if you live there, it’s a 1 or 2 family house, and the driveway is not shared with the house next door.

    Melon
    Melon
    15 years ago

    The number are a lot higher

    Melon
    Melon
    15 years ago

    The numbers are a lot higher than $130,000 a year.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    If its a 2 family house, very often I see that neither park in the driveway because they can’t come to terms on who has the right to it.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    isn’t it funny how for every problem there is the only answer the politicians can come up with involves taking more of your money away from you?!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    2:29 – One word – Democrats

    Yid
    Yid
    15 years ago

    Why are there so few parking garages in brooklyn? They seem like the most logical solution.

    anon
    anon
    15 years ago

    hydrants and bus stops in the same place? gee that makes sense. moron

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Problem is on UWS there are people who have never moved their car beyond alternate side parking and many are registered outside of NYState and are not insured in NY so there is no cost to parking

    loda
    loda
    15 years ago

    thats why you need to have savlanus (patience) to sit in the car and wait for a spot >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    This is not savlanus. Waiting for a spot and being double parked is called thinking about yourself.

    patience is when you two blocks away from where you are shopping and finding the first spot and taking it.

    This business of circling 13th Ave every minute thinking your going to win the lottery is ridiculous!

    lavdafka
    lavdafka
    15 years ago

    By the way: Just because you own a car does not mean that you should use it a lot. … BEST SELUTION: Try not to use your car whenever possible thereby spearing yourself a lot of frustration, let alone cash savings! Just let it stay behind! Get used walking a lot ….getting places by train ect. A jew always ‘gibt zich an aitza’!

    – L dafka

    ragelech
    ragelech
    15 years ago

    Good point about having municipal parking. Since real estate is at a premium it would never happen in Boro Park. Reminder: Solomon Plaza, where Eichlers in now, was SUPPOSED to be a parking lot. Never happened, because of $$

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Why are fire hydrants designed with the connections facing the street? If the twin connections would be facing the opposite direction, cars would be able to park at the pump and the fire hoses could still be connected at the same time.

    lavdafka
    lavdafka
    15 years ago

    HELLO! … Don’t you all realize the city RELIES on tens of millions of dollars in revenue off the ‘not- enough-parking’ situation, don’t you all get it??!!

    -L dafka

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Theres absolutely no reason why you need 15 Feet each side of the fire hydrants. 2 to 3 ft. on each side is more than sufficient for the fire dept. to hook up the hose. this is just a way for the city to raise (steal) more of our hard earned money. I personally live on a block the where the parking is virtually non existent, finally after circling the block numerous times I found a spot which was 13 ft from the fire hydrant figuring that the officers will take into consideration the horrible parking situation on the block and look away. To my surprise I came back to find a ticket

    with the officer blatantly lying that I was parked 6 ft. from the hydrant. I guess he needed my ticket to fill the quota.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    how about taking away all parking spaces from yeshivahs & schools since they have political connections u c no standing till midnight 11 o’clock they put the cones & then the busses can stay there & why should a school teacher or driver b allowed in front of their work place and not the shoe repair or grocery etc.? we have 2 stop it push away the cones & don’t care what the russian baal habayis tells u its our street & money

    Reb Yid
    Reb Yid
    15 years ago

    The city thinks it solves the traffic problem by LIMITING parking spaces, to discourage people from driving. Of course, the reality is the opposite, enough people drive anyway that it backfires when they have to keep circling for parking.