New York City has restored full alternate side parking rules Tuesday, following a two-year pandemic hiatus wherein drivers were required to move their car only once a week for street cleaning, rather than the two designated days typically required in many neighborhoods.
Residents who do not move their cars will face $65 fines.
Today is the first day of full restored Alternate Side Parking…and our streets are crying out for your help. Will you move your car? (and thanks @SarahMcLachlan) https://t.co/4iZ4yD234E pic.twitter.com/41kfJLO46y
— NYC Sanitation (@NYCSanitation) July 5, 2022
A NYC resident frustrated by going back to ASP rules began a Change.org petition, titled “Once a Week Street Sweeping NYC – Alternate Side Parking Reform”.
Read the full petition details below:
Continuing to enforce Alternate Side Parking 2x a week is a clear money-grab for the city, penalizing residents who cannot afford garages and taking away time from actual productivity as citizens.
- More emissions from people sitting in their cars 2x the amount of time, and in some cases 4x.
- European cities have sweepers that sweep underneath cars, eliminating the need for people to move their cars. How are we not making a shift toward these machines or advocating for them?
- ASP 2x a week only hurts middle class families who cannot afford the massively expensive garages. We are now sitting in our cars for 3 hours a week, if not trying to move them another day or two.
- Continue to focus on fining landlords and building owners for trash on the curb, they should be hiring this out and cleaning their sidewalks and paying for the mess – not people who street park.
- Increase the ticket price for ASP to 3x the amount. People aren’t moving their cars because the ticket isn’t expensive enough, and getting 4 tickets a month is still cheaper than the garage. Make it 1x a week with a hefty fine, that way people will actually move cars.
- Public transit limited accessibility – commuting with small children or with a disability means planning to navigate MTA stations that have elevators if any, transfers, breaking down strollers, carrying small children up and down stairs and getting them seated safely on a train or bus before it takes off. European cities provide buses with stroller sections.
- Electric vehicles – there are absolutely no charging ports that are reasonable for people who street park. If we are looking for more sustainability and cleanliness, it is impossible to maintain an electric vehicle and street park which means sitting in a gas burning car 3 hours a week to stay warm in the colder months waiting for the sweeper.
- Bike storage – Legally garages with a certain number of spaces must offer bike storage, but it is rare that they follow through with this in my experience. Electric bikes would be more economical to store but there is little infrastructure to support this.
Sitting in a car for 3 hours a week in most case is 3 hours of work, 3 hours of childcare or we bring our kids, or 3 hours of missed opportunities for residents who cannot afford garages. Are we at fault for not taking care of trash that buildings set out? Do we own those buildings? Are our cars making the trash? No. So we should not be penalized for this.
It’s all about the cash, folks. Just another tax.