In an era of congestion pricing, lawmakers advocate for residential parking permits in NYC

If a bill in the state legislature becomes law, residents in some Brooklyn neighborhoods would have to pay for parking permits to park at the curb.

The bill, proposed by Brooklyn Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon and Manhattan state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, both of whom represent parts of NYC, aims to make parking easier for residents of a handful of central Brooklyn neighborhoods, including Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights.

If passed into law, the bill would enable a pilot program in Brooklyn that could potentially expand to other parts of the city.

According to an article in Crain’s, it would also involve charging residents a fee for placards and giving them priority for curbside parking. It is unclear right now how much money a placard would cost, but the bill authorizes a local law that would set the fee scale.

A spokesperson for the NYC Department of Transportation said the agency is “reviewing the legislation.”

The bill would essentially prioritize permit parking while reserving metered parking for commercial corridors. A spokesperson for Hoylman-Sigal said this would ensure that 20% of spaces within a permit area are available for short-term nonresident parking.

“A residential parking permit system would alleviate the many parking and environmental issues increased by non-residents using a particular neighborhood as a personal and free parking space for hours each day,” according to the bill’s language . “These commuters augment an already congested area and generate needless traffic accidents and hazards; pedestrian fatalities, air and noise pollution.”

Proposals for residential parking permit systems are not new, but have seen a new light in the era of congestion pricing . In fact, there is a similar push to implement residential permit parking on the Upper West Side .

New Yorkers who live in neighborhoods such as Harlem, Morningside Heights, and Washington Heights have expressed continued frustration about parked cars infiltrating their streets both before and after the start of congestion pricing on Jan. 5.

“Permit parking for the Upper West Side is a great idea,” one local resident posted on social media. “Parking is extremely hard in the neighborhood. It can take a very long time to find a spot.”

The resident also said permit parking is long overdue.

“This is something that should have been done a long time ago,” the resident added. “They also need to have the permit go with the car license plate so people can’t get permits for others who don’t live on the Upper West Side.”

Upper West Sider Andrew Hahn said he would “definitely support” a residential parking permit system.

“With Citi Bikes and now huge garbage containers in the streets, parking spots are so limited,” he said.

NYC needs state approval to establish residential parking permit systems. The bill is still in its early stages and would have to pass through the NYS legislative process before being enacted into law.

Other U.S. cities that have residential parking permits include Washington, D.C. Per the city’s Department of Motor Vehicles, the program allows any DC DMV-registered private vehicle or vehicle with reciprocity to be parked without restriction in the permit area of the vehicle’s registered address.

The pay structure starts at $50 per car, and $75 for a second car.