State Senate Mulls Over Budget Proposal Requiring Residential Parking Permits

by M. C. Millman

According to a new law proposed under the State Senate’s budget proposal set to be released this week, New York car owners might need permits to park in residential areas including in front of their own houses.

Under the new law, parking spots in residential areas would be split. Eighty percent would be reserved for those who live in the area and hold permits to park there, with the other twenty percent of parking spaces going to anyone else. 

Commercial zones will not be limited in this way other than at certain, unspecified times.

As an additional caveat, non-residents would be allowed to park in spots reserved for local residents for a minimum of ninety minutes.

Proponents of the new law claim the new rules will curb air pollution by cutting back on cars idling while waiting for a parking space or circling the block hunting for a parking spot. Additionally, the rules are meant to encourage alternate forms of transportation.

Monthly fees would be limited to $30 maximum. Still, other details, such as the size of parking zones, the date and time when the rules would be applied, and the exact definition of what constitutes commercial and residential zones, as well as the cost of permits, would be up to the city councils across the State to determine.

Cities with existing parking programs include San Francisco, where residents pay $100 yearly to park on the street. Residents in Washington, DC, pay $35 annually, and Chicago residents pay $25 a year. 

The potential fee for New York City resident parking will go towards the cash-strapped MTA.

A similar bill was proposed for NYC residents as far back as 2018 with no success. As for this new proposal, residents are uneasy with the new plan, but time will tell as to whether the City is in for a bumpy ride or not.