DOT Decision in Queens Impacts Manhattan Residents Parking

As I reported about 6 weeks ago the DOT was putting into action a plan to remove parking spaces on Vernon Blvd, LIC for bike lanes. At the time, not owning a car, I did not expect there would be an impact on Roosevelt Island car owners. Boy was I wrong.

As any resident knows Roosevelt Island has only limited on street parking, all meterered, and the only other choice is parking at Motorgate Garage on the island. Well the third choice that I forgot about was many car owners parked for free on Vernon Blvd and underneath the Roosevelt island Bridge.

The above and below images can be found as part of the larger LIC bike path plan.

Well the DOT apparently removed the parking signs this week and a few Roosevelt Island residents who were informed of this at last nights Manhattan Community Board 8 meeting were not thrilled to learn what their fellow residents had already found out when they moved returned with their cars.

The question then, at the CB8M meeting, was what did their fellow Queens CB1 and CB2 know of this and did the Queens CBs even realize that the impact on their Roosevelt Island / Manhattan cousins who are connected to them by the Roosevelt Island Bridge. And lastly should CB8M say anything to the Queesn CBs.

Motorgate Monthly Parking Rates to Increase Effective July 1, 2008

According to the below e-mail the monthly rates at Motorgate Parking Garage are going up this July equalizing the rates between residents and nonresidents. My prior email certainly did not cause this so don't blame me. Heck at these rates I just might buy a car.

-----Original Message-----

From: "Stephen Shane"
Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2008 17:15:57
To:,"Erica Wilder" ,"Fernando Martinez"
Subject: Re: Motorgate Parking Rates

After review, we have decided to increase the Motorgate rates, effective July 1, untouched for more than 6 years, by $10/month for residents (and employees of on island businesses) and $30/month for off island patrons, in both cases to $190/month, less than 1/2 of the rates available in Manhattan. We have under 200 off Island monthly parkers and just under 1000 resident parkers, with a total capacity of over 1300. The extra income will be ploughed back into Island operations to offset some of the relentlessly escalating expenses.

Questioning of those with institutional memories only gets hazy recollection of differential parking rates to try to attract off Island users to enhance the revenue stream during dire budgetary periods.

Stephen H. Shane
President & CEO
Roosevelt Island Operating Corp.

Will Roosevelt Island's Parking Garage be Overun by Manhattan Drivers? (A Congestion Pricing Side Effect?)

As a side effect of congestion pricing will parking garages just outside the congestion zone be jammed with new monthly tenants looking to avoid the added fee to enter Manhattan below 60th Street? Will garages inside the zone have to drop rates to entice drivers to enter the zone? Will garages outside the zone jack up their prices?

Currently the monthly parking garage fees to park at Motorgate, the only public parking facility on Roosevelt Island stand at $160 per month for nonresidents which curiously is below the $180 rate charged to residents.

When I asked Erica Wilder, RIOC's community liason, about the rate discrepancy she replied that "[RIOC was] currently in the process of setting up current and appropriate rates for the Motorgate Garage.". I doubt they are changing rates due to congestion pricing but it was strange that nonresidents were getting a better rate. I hope they fix that discrepancy and also create a rate class for nonresidents that can prove they work on the island as they should not be penalized.

Comparing the current rates to the average Manhattan garage rates of a few hundred dollars per month not including the added congestion fees it almost would be worth it to a die hard driver to deal with the added red bus / mass transit commute to get from Roosevelt Island to Manhattan. Although most would probably scoff at this second commute they would need to take on just to save money. But there are always few folks who will do anything to save what will undoubtedly be a substantial amount of dollars.