The city has created three commercial parking zones on West End Avenue to keep trucks from double-parking on the avenue. But what seems like a modest proposal is upsetting some locals, who consider it a first step to turning West End into a more commercial district.
The Department of Transportation said that it was responding to “business stakeholders”, who said that commercial vehicles like FedEx and UPS trucks were being forced to double park on the avenue. So, with Community Board 7’s blessing, the department created three one-hour loading zones on West End. The loading zones will be tested for 90 days and monitored by NYPD, wrote DOT Borough Commissioner Margaret Forgione in a letter to Councilwoman Gale Brewer. Initial results show that “the pilot has merit,” she added.
In her initial letter, Brewer wrote that “many residents believe that this proposal will only invite more commercial traffic onto West End Avenue, which in turn will create more double parking, block access to residential building entrances, and exacerbate the amount of fumes and noise from these trucks that are already a quality of life concern for residents. I know that this is a ‘pilot’ program, but given the large outcry against it, I don’t think that this program will solve the problem of double parking, and will create problems that did not exist previously.”
In a subsequent email, Brewer’s staff said she “opposes Fed-Ex and UPS trucks’ free reign over historic West End Avenue.”
Photo by Andrew Kaplan.
So where are these 3 loading zones? Surprised you’re keeping them secret.
One of them is at 666 West End Avenue. It is used by construction vehicles working on the building
After 3 pm, Fed Ex and UPS do not use it, but between 3 and 7, it is a major revenue generator for issuance of parking tickets
Who is ordering the items from FedEx and UPS? My guess is the people in the buildings along West End Avenue. Double parking is dangerous and illegal. It is dangerous for drivers, walkers, and especially cyclists. Stop ordering from the internet if you don’t want trucks near your homes.
Double parking by delivery vehicles is a curse, but inevitable until we have a commercial loading zone on every block.
The DOT chose West End Avenue for the pilot because of the high rate of double-parking there. It’s hard to imagine how providing short-term parking for deliveries will draw more commercial traffic to this residential avenue. Either trucks have business there or they don’t, and better they should be out of traffic if they do.
The outcry is really about the City reducing the space where drivers can park their personal property for free. We need to prioritize how we allocate the precious resource that is our streets. Offering a small amount of curbside real estate so that delivery trucks don’t have to double-park and create hazards for all street users seems like a worthy use, one that arguably should take priority over providing the opportunity to store a private vehicle for days on end at no cost.