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Illegal Permit Parking Crackdown Underway?

Word has it that the city is finally cracking down on uncivil servants' illegal parking privileges. Was this the final outrage that finally spurred the Bloomberg Administration to take action?
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Word has it that the city is finally cracking down on uncivil servants’ illegal parking privileges. Was this the final outrage that finally spurred the Bloomberg Administration to take action?

  • A Manhattan tipster reports that a jersey barrier has suddenly appeared in front of the Brooklyn Bridge on-ramp where scores of Police Plaza employees have been parking their personal vehicles since 9/11 closed the ramp to traffic.
  • A Brooklyn tipster says that traffic cones have been put out on Adams Street in Downtown Brooklyn preventing government employees from parking illegally and that a bigger parking sweep may be on its way.

Transportation researcher Bruce Schaller estimates
that the curbside parking spaces consumed by government employees would
be worth $46 million per year in parking meter revenue. And if government
employees drove to work at the same rate as their private sector
counterparts, 19,200 fewer cars would enter Manhattan each day. Transportation Alternatives’ study, Above the Law shows that citywide, more than 3 out of every 4 permit holders (77%) use their permits illegally. The NYPD is responsible for 46% of illegal permit abuse, by far the largest share from any single agency.

Who will be the first Streetsblog tipster to send me a photo of the
Brooklyn Bridge on-ramp devoid of police officers’ illegally parked
cars? tips@streetsblog.org

Photo: Brooklyn Heights Blog 

Photo of Aaron Naparstek
Aaron Naparstek is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Streetsblog. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Naparstek's journalism, advocacy and community organizing work has been instrumental in growing the bicycle network, removing motor vehicles from parks, and developing new public plazas, car-free streets and life-saving traffic-calming measures across all five boroughs. He was also one of the original cast members of the "War on Cars" podcast. You can find more of his work on his website.

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