Last Updated on May 29, 2014 by Lawrence Berezin
NYC parking ticket dismissed due to cancelled bus stop ambush
The NYC driving public has a real, honest-to-goodness champion. His name is Councilman David G. Greenfield. As a result of intense pressure from Councilman Greenfield, the Department of Finance agreed to dismiss a NYC parking ticket for standing in a bus stop that is no longer a bus stop.
You may wish to follow Councilman Greenfield’s tweets on Twitter, since these tidbits of information are important to all of us. Here’s a link to the Councilman’s Twitter page.
Custer’s last stand with a happy ending
These “No longer a bus stop bus stops” reminded me of what it must of felt like following George Armstrong Custer into the Little Big Horn. The Wall Stree Journal covers the story in wonderful, you can’t make this stuff up, detail. Well worth a read.
The WSJ points out due to service cuts 570 bus stops were canceled. The driving public thought the good news was there would be additional parking spaces. Little did we know parking ticket warriors were lurking behind hot dog trucks to issue $115 parking tickets to unsuspecting drivers for parking at these extinct bus stops.
Mr. Paul Browne, a spokesman for the NYPT told the WSJ, “Technically, the city is permitted to issue summonses at these locations because the signs haven’t been changed to allow parking.” Unbelievable!
However, due to the sizzling letter fired off by Councilman Greenfield, the City called off the warriors.
It’s bad enough that the MTA has given our community the short-shrift by taking away a vital bus route, but it adds insult to the injury that traffic enforcement agents are issuing tickets at those affected bus stops,” said Mr. Greenfield.”
Have you felt the sting of a warriors scanners at these extinct bus stops?
If so, don’t just pay the tithe, fight! Check out the link to the W.S.J article and learn what action to take. Please feel free to call or email with any questions.
Please share your bus stop last stand experiences. Your experience will benefit all of us.
Larry,
These are some questions we recently received from John, a great friend of New York Parking Ticket…
“Recently received a ticket, for parking in the bus stop, which I believe to be unfair and invalid.
Background information: I live in Brooklyn on Fort Hamilton Parkway, between 90th and 92nd in Bay Ridge. At one, about 3 or 4 years ago, maybe more, the B-70 bus use to run along Fort Hamilton Parkway from Sunset Park to the Veteran’s Hospital in Dyker Heights. Then there was a budget crunch and the B-70 was rerouted off of Fort Hamilton Parkway in a new direction. The bus stops were eliminated on both corner’s of 90th street and Fort Hamilton Parkway. Recently, with out notice to the people in the neighborhood, Bus poles were installed back on both corner’s, were they use to be, in anticipation of resuming the B-70, to it’s original route. The service hasn’t even begun running and will not be till either today, Sunday, June,29th or tomorrow June 30th. When the pole were installed, both signs were blocked by branches of nearby trees. Not only that, the curbs were not painted yellow, as most all bus stops are, and there was no notice posted to inform the public as to the resumption of the bus route. In fact, the posted schedules, were not affixed to the poles, till Friday afternoon, there by making the pole more visible to the public.
Since I received a ticket, for parking, in the bus stop, and intend to fight it by pleading not guilty. Was wondering if you would give me your opinion about this ticket? Do believe that the ticket is invalid, because: 1) the bus wasn’t even running on this route, when I received the ticket. 2) no notice to the public was give or posted, to inform people of the pending resumption of the route. 3) that the sign was obstructed by trees and no yellow marker painted on the curb, to designate it as a bus stop.
Since this ticket will not be in their system for few days or longer, would appreciate any advice. Thank you.”
John
Dear John,
Good morning.
Great questions about a bus stop conundrum we all face…The “decommissioned bus stop.”
You may wish to read the article published in the Wall Street Journal.
(Here’s a link… http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704178004575351543484499422?mod=googlenews_wsj&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052748704178004575351543484499422.html%3Fmod%3Dgooglenews_wsj )
I am sorry to report that there isn’t a rule that permits you to park in an inactive or “decommissioned” bus stop. Technically, notwithstanding a sense of fair play, a parking ticket warrior can issue a parking ticket. Was there ever notice posted or a sign posted changing the status of the bus stop?
If the bus stop sign was “hidden” by trees, you may have a winning defense. The tipping point is whether a parking ticket judge agrees with your characterization of the sign being hidden. Photo’s will win it or lose it for you.
This is a tough parking ticket to beat, but you have a number of helpful facts to argue that may persuade a judge to dismiss your parking ticket when viewing the totality of the circumstances surrounding issuance of this evil parking ticket.
Good luck.
Best,
Larry
PS…Yellow curbs mean nothing in NYC when it comes to parking regulations. Never have, and probably never will.