Last Updated on July 8, 2021 by Lawrence Berezin
Is park smart in NYC an oxymoron?
Who in the Sam Hill coined the phrase, park smart?
You pull your chariot into a metered parking space in Manhattan and fork over $3.50 per hour. You race to the muni meter, pay the toll, grab your receipt, and race back to your car. If you take longer than 5 minutes to complete the muni-meter dash, you’ll find a $65 parking ticket under your wiper. Is that parking smart?
Parking Smart is a demand pricing strategy. The more traffic during peak hours, the higher the meter rates. It’s like Barney’s raising the price of their men’s suits on Saturdays to alleviate the congestion in the men’s department. That suit you saw on Tuesday morning for $1500 becomes a $2000 suit on Saturday. That’ll clear out the men’s department on Saturdays.
You can always park in an off street parking lot if you have a bazillion bucks to share with the garage keeper.
What is “Park Smart”
It is a program to make parking easier while reducing congestion and improving safety. DOT is conducting six-month pilots in neighborhoods across the City to test how the program works in different settings. The agency works closely with community boards, merchants, BIDs and other local stakeholders when developing the pilots. Based on the success of the pilots, PARK Smart areas have been made permanent in several neighborhoods.
Goals of a “Smart” program include:
- Increase the availability of parking spaces
- Increase safety
- Reduce double-parking
- Reduce pollution
- Reduce congestion from circling vehicles
[Via NYC Department of Transportation].
I love this video
Here’s a wonderful video created for the San Francisco Park Program. It beautifully explains the why’s and wherefore’s to the point where you almost want to travel in the SF core and try to find an empty parking space…Nah!
I have a nyc issued disability parking permit (the plaque that rests on your dashboard). There is some question as to whether or not that entitles me to park where the sign reads, “no standing except commercial vehicles. all others no standing”
Can I park here with the disability permit?
Dear Robert,
Good afternoon.
Here’s what the Evil Empire has to say about proper use of its disability parking permit:
“The City permit allows the driver to park at most curbsides on city streets including in all “No Parking” zones (except those marked as taxi stands); in “No Parking”, “No Standing” or “Authorized Vehicles Only” spaces authorized for doctors, press, diplomats and government agencies; at metered parking without paying; in “No Standing, Trucks Loading and Unloading” or “Truck Loading Only” zones except for specified restricted hours.
The City permit cannot be used in any “No Stopping” zones; in any “No Standing” zones other than those listed above; in front of fire hydrants, at bus stops or in crosswalks. Double parking is never permitted.”
The language is very confusing. However, I would err on the side of caution and stay away from all no standing zones, other than trucks loading and unloading, or trucks loading only during restricted hours. I think the Evil Empire will interpret the language in a limiting rather than liberal way.
Park safely.
Best,
Larry
The video says that the Park Smart program in SF can potentially reduce a meter to only 25 cents per hour, depending on need for usage. How about implementing that part in NYC? NOT! It’s interesting how the Evil Empire only took the peak fee aspect of the program and left out the low demand benefits…
Gregory,
Hahahaha…Well said.
In NYC, a meter is $.25 on February 30th.
Great speaking with you.
Best,
Larry