These light poles on 66th street just off of Riverside Boulevard once had parking signs attached to them. After they were removed, drivers started getting tickets.
Parking signs near Riverside Boulevard in the 60’s and 70’s have been removed, suddenly making large stretches of the area off-limits to parking, one resident told us.
Beforehand, the spots were No Standing zones from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., but were open to parking at other hours. That’s what the Department of Transportation’s online map continues to say.
But last week, the signs were suddenly taken away and cars that remained there all got tickets, the resident said.
“This must have happened withing last week or so: parking signs on a short appendix of the 71st from Riverside Blvd as well as on the 70th street from Riverside Blvd to the entrance into the parking garage on 200 Riverside Blvd and on the 66th Street from Riverside Blvd to the bus stop were removed by NYPD. No extra signs, no warnings, no nothing. Previously parking was prohibited in those locations from 8AM to 6PM M-F and allowed all other times. Now it seems that it is prohibited all the time.
People got so used to those spots and times when parking was legal that they don’t even look up to notice the missing signs. Yesterday ALL cars (including mine) parked in one of those spots were ticketed.”
The DOT had no information on why the change was made. The photo below shows the same block in September, with the signs.
The DOT parking map:
We will update this if we learn more.
Actually signs get blown away by the wind quite frequently on our boulevard. I suspect this is what happened. It typically takes the city 6 months to replace the missing signs., and yes, some cops in the area will ticket you on their whim.. even the ones who know what sign used to be there. The signs on 67th and 65th street blow away all the time but most of the time you can still park there without penalty. That is until you get towed 🙂
One (or even two, perhaps) would imagine that residents of this super-affluent upwardly-striving I-wanna-be-a-hedge-fund-manager “neighborhood” can easily afford the parking fines.
So why all the kvetching?
Broken windows theory… Deal with it
Help…too tired to follow this. If no sign prohibits parking, whence a ticket?
This happened on 97th between WEA and Broadway. They moved the bus loading sign from the corner to the middle of the block (with no notice or any ‘new no standing’ signs) eliminating an additional 4 parking spots. I was parked there and received several tickets equalling hundreds of dollars. I protested the tickets and they were actully dismissed (bloody miracle!) give it a try!
Morgan, I got two tickets over 2 days in the same spot on 97th – I requested a hearing and was found guilty. I have lived nearby for 5 years so didn’t think twice about parking there. The new parking rules were made 9 days earlier, and I didn’t fall within the 5 day grace period. The signs aren’t clear either. The no standing sign is many car lengths down the block.
FYI, is there is ANY sign, even down the other end of the block (on the same side as where you are parked), that says for example “no parking 8 am – 6 pm”, that is the sign that takes precedence. A lame law, but there it is. If there was NO sign of any kind (including a bus sign) on the entire block, and you had proof of that, you could probably get your tickets dismissed.
Since there is no longer a parking regulation sign on the 66th Street behind the bus stop the entire length of the block behind the stop is a no-no zone for parking.
Resident only parking would free up many spaces now occupied by residents who register their vehicles illegally and cheat all who play by the rules.
As much as I agree with you, street parking incurs a hefty environmental cost: https://freakonomics.com/2013/03/13/parking-is-hell-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/
its time to ban cars or significantly restrict them in large numbers. They take up an absurd amount of public land between buildings that should be for all people to use. Free parking and alt parking is a massive free benefit to car owners at the expense of non drivers.
Look how it used to be. Sidewalks should double. Car lanes and parking be gone.
https://www.vox.com/2015/1/29/7929847/then-and-now-photos
Good luck with that
First of all, you can fight tickets that were issued in less than a 24-hour parking change and win your case. That happened to me a few years ago and my ticket was dismissed. I also know that they will eventually be changing the parking regs on W. 72nd St. bet. Riverside Blvd. & WEA, on both sides of the street. This was discussed at several CB7 Transportation Committee meetings. You can call CB7 and get more info on these changes. But what really irks me is the way taxis park illegally and dangerous around that whole area on Fri. afternoons when the drivers are going to the mosque at 1 RSD, putting pedestrians and vehicles at risk. They even have the temerity to park in crosswalks and guess what? No tickets for them! Taxi jihad, I guess.
less than a 24 hour parking change?