Is the answer to Main Street's parking woes raising the parking rates so parking on the street is more expensive than parking in Roosevelt Island’s Motorgate? This was one of several proposals put forth by the students that participated in the Columbia Transportation studio. See the April 18th Main Street WIRE, for detailed coverage of the proposals. In theory I can see how this can make sense with respect to individuals who are looking to park for several hours.I am not disagreeing with Frank Farance, our RIRA President, in his argument within this week’s May 2nd dated Main Street WIRE, that increasing the rates would be unfair to short term parkers who are loading or unloading etc. But to be honest many of those individuals from what I have seen double park or park in no parking zones for the short period they need and while a number are told by PSD to move their vehicles many finish their loading / unloading without incident. I do think Frank missed the Columbia student’s point that it is the long term parkers that they were trying to target. But to fair to his point, the students may not have been familiar with the short term parkers.
According to today’s Gothamist, the NYC Department of Transporation, started a pilot program in Park Slope, Brooklyn, of increasing parking rates during peak hours only. Perhaps that is a compromise that would work on Main Street? Your thoughts?
[Image from Gothamist.]
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the problem is really the fact that dozens of "handicapped" vehicles use main street as their personal parking lot.
ReplyDeleteThat is so true. Since when did handicap permits allow you to park on main street 24/7?
ReplyDeleteI agree but do not expect we will see any change as long as Public Service choose to look the other way.
ReplyDeletecomplain to steve shane. it's a relic of the prior overseers of the island, and only inertia keeps it that way. nyc parking regs are that handicap permits only allow you to park in a handicapped spot - not to disregard the meter, leaving a vehicle in a spot for days, weeks, months...
ReplyDeleteHandicapped parking IS the problem on Main Street. The cars park there 24/7 and never move. It's ridiculous and shouldn't be allowed.
ReplyDeleteHOWEVER...AS USUAL
you guys don't know the law. In NYC,those handicapped parking permits issued by NYC (not the state hanging tag) permit the vehicle to park on street for free. That's the way it goes.
So get off this "Public Safety looks the other way" bull. Learn the law for once.
Wow, someone didn't get a good night's sleep! Take a careful look at the NYC permits (for the few that have them) and you'll notice that they don't even match the plates on the cars. Public Safety DOES look the other way.
ReplyDeleteIs it a foregone conclusion that Main St. parking has to follow NYC laws? Why is parking allowed free all day Sunday when space is so tight? It was not always that way. The long term handicapped parkers belong IN THE GARAGE and paying. There are special spaces on ground level set aside for handicapped that are not used.
ReplyDeleteagreed. it is ridiculous that those spaces are used as long term parking. costs RIOC a lot in lost meter fees too.
ReplyDeleteMain Street parking has to follow city traffic and parking regulations so long as Main Street is a city street. The way to get around this would be to privatize or de-map it, but then the responsibility for maintaining the street would fall to RIOC. Pick your poison.
ReplyDelete