Brooklyn, NY – During his campaign early last year, Councilman David G. Greenfield called on the Department of Transportation (DOT) to implement a common-sense solution to the problem of drivers not being able to feed parking meters when Shabbos starts early on Friday afternoons in the winter.
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As background, streets with normal parking regulations require meters to be fed regularly from 8am through 7pm Monday through Friday. This poses a difficulty for observant Jewish drivers on Friday who are prohibited by Jewish law from feeding the meters on Shabbos. In the winter months, when Shabbos begins as early as 4pm, hundreds of metered parking spots in Boro Park are left empty because the mostly observant Jewish residents won’t park there for fear of a parking ticket. Since meters are not in effect on Saturday, the only challenge has been for those relatively few hours between 5pm and 7pm – after an hour’s worth of quarters expires.
Tonight on the Zev Brenner radio show, Greenfield announced that the DOT has agreed to install Muni-Meters on the entire metered stretch of 16th Avenue in Boro Park from 44th Street to 54th in a pilot program. New parking signs will end metered parking requirements on Friday at 5pm instead of the usual 7pm for the rest of the week. By ending metered parking at 5pm, Shabbos observant individuals will always be able to place an hour’s worth of quarters in the meter as Shabbos never begins before 4pm. This arrangement works well for a community where virtually all of the stores close before 5pm on Friday therefore alleviating the need for metered parking.
In a February 2010 letter to DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, Greenfield explained that the community’s observant Jewish drivers faithfully feed their parking meters on Friday afternoons between October and March, when the sun sets relatively early. He added, however, that many who pay for parking up to the minute Shabbos begins risk tickets after they are no longer able to continue feeding the meter after the start of Shabbos. Greenfield urged in the letter that Sadik-Khan “seriously consider the needs of this community, and work with us toward a quick and effective solution to a unique problem.” After a year and a half of negotiations, Councilman Greenfield and Commissioner Sadik-Khan have finally finalized the details of a pilot program that will allow Shabbos observant residents to take advantage of hundreds of parking spots in Boro Park.
“This is a great step towards solving a problem that has plagued thousands of drivers in Boro Park for years,” explained Councilman Greenfield. “On behalf of the thousands of Boro Park drivers who will now have approximately 150 new parking spots in the heart of Boro Park on Erev Shabbos, I thank Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Commissioner Janette Sadik-Kahn and her staff at the DOT for working with me to solve the Erev Shabbos parking problem.”
The program is a pilot by the Department of Transportation. Councilman Greenfield explained that after a period of review he is hopeful that the program will expand to all the major metered avenues in Boro Park.
My kids enjoyed watching DOT install them this morning. I have 2 questions. 1) Why cant they install more then one meter on a block? This would lessen the chance of getting a ticket while you go to get a coupon. 2) When talking about boro park you are talking about a clearly defined group of blocks 60th street to 36th street 20th ave to 9th ave why cant the city tell the traffic agents not to come here on Fri afternoon and on Yom Tov. There are plenty of parts of the city where they can go.
Thank you Mr. Greenfield , for another campaign promise kept ! Keep up your work for the entire community
Great work R’ David!!! Keep it up!!!
Good work Greenfield. A broken clock is right twice a day.
very clever…thanx, what about painting the sidewalk by pumps to show till where u cannot park? is that still on the table? remember reading once u were trying to implement that.
Great Job Greenfield however it isn’t going to work. Wait for the excuses to come out the wood works. Must say Greenfield really goes out of his way to please his district! Very much to be commended even if he is fighting about snow! Atleast he cares!
greenfeld delivers
just wondering,
any solution for Erev Uom Tov?
Reply to #5
Can you please explain your comment and how its relevant to this conversation?
So wonderful to have a politician who actually delivers to his voters.
Thanks – we really appreciate it!
I don’t understand this. Why do they need to install munimeters to solve the erev shabbos problem? Its enough to change the parking signs and shoin! The installation of munimeters has nothing to do with shabbos! It has to do with something else entirely…. $$$ for bloombag!
the reason for the munimeters is because the entire outer-boroughs is getting them by 2014 (I think) so sign changes are needed for that. once they will be changing the signs for putting in the munimeters, they will move it down to friday ending at 5 pm. all they did was add that location to the first slew of munimeter changes. this will also help with greenfields other legislation of the 5 minute rule, which only works wth a minumeter slip. the 5 minute rule also has in it that if you can show that your munimeter slip was purchased within 5 minutes of the ticket, then the ticket is dismissed, so no need to fear the meter maids from ticketing you while getting your slip from the munimeter. just make sure the slip is PROPERLY displayed in your window, faced up, and it should be the only one on the window sill inside the car.
Maybe the cars that belong to Jews will have Yellow-star stickers on them to identify them as being Jewish-owned cars. Then, police will know not to ticket them.
What a ridiculous waste of time and influence !
What’s more, it adds to the perception that Jews get preferential treatment, and that the Law is not applied equally. In fact, it causes discrimination and builds resentment towards Yidden.
If they want to modify meter rules, they should do so for ALL citizens of new York city or the burroghs, not only for Borough Park and jews.
As the events of the last week show, we Jews need to lower our profile and not call attention to ourselves by legislation differences between Jews and Gentiles.
Yeah, there are no yomim tovim in the winter. The next yom tov is Pesach, in April. (Hopefully, though, Moshiach will come before then and take us of golus.)
Actually on 13th ave, there is no parking allowed on Shabbas, talk about wased parking spaces. this is why there are a gang of guys playing football on 13th between 46 & 47 every shabbs night.
what about avenue M? its also mon-fri till 7 so how does that help anyone. the whole idea of no meters on saturday must be to help us out because on kings highway they are in effect on saturday!
Can something also be worked out about parking in front of yeshivas on erev shabbos? Most have no parking till 7 on school days, but yeshivos are all out by 12 on fridays. And people who park for shabbos long after yeshivos let out are targeted for tickets…
what about the no parking all summer in front of schools and yeshivas, why cant it say sept-june. and why cant you park in front of a church or shul they never use the space or they will get a ticket themself. I can never deliver anything without the risk