NYC 5-Minute Grace Period Bill Vetoed by Mayor Bloomberg

Last Updated on February 19, 2018 by Lawrence Berezin

The 5-minute grace period bill suffered a temporary setback

The 5-minute grace period bill veto will be overridden. Mayor Bloomberg said the grace period bill would only “lead to chaos and enormous increases in the number of contested tickets, and an argument.” Robo-mayor is wrong.

Mayor Bloomberg vetoed the “Grace Period” Bill yesterday, as expected. The NY City Council has more than sufficient votes to override the Mayor’s veto; and is expected to take action by the end of the month.

NY Times reports:

“The five-minute period would apply to Muni-Meters, which control parking spaces and issue a receipt, and alternate-side parking rules, which require drivers to move their cars for street cleaning, usually once or twice a week, for up to three hours.”

The “Grace Period” Bill will take effect 90 days after enactment.

Commentary

Will a five-minute grace period dramatically change the number of NYC parking tickets issued next year? Or reduce the revenue generated by NYC parking tickets? Nope. But here’s what the bill will do:

• Help defuse a highly charged issue about the perception of the NYC driving public that draconian parking rules are enforced in a rigid, unjust manner
• Eliminate the complaint forever that “I was only one minute late and still was issued an NYC parking ticket.” You’ve got what you wished for, 5 extra minutes to move your car. Now the burden is on the driving public to do the right thing and obey the rule. Whining that you were only 6 minutes late will fall on deaf ears; as well it should.
• New Yorkers have spoken through their representatives on the City Council. The Mayor’s symbolic gesture of vetoing the bill, knowing full well his veto will be overridden by the City Council, serves to re-enforce the view that the Mayor doesn’t listen. This is not profiles in courage. This is “show me the money.” The Mayor already made it clear that he hopes to generate an additional $93M in parking ticket revenue to help a fiscally strapped City. What about the fiscally strapped people in the City who lost their jobs, and are suffering through an economic crisis?

A 5-minute grace period may only delay the pain of a parking ticket for 5 minutes. But, it will be a big step forward in the relationship between the parking ticket powers to be, parking ticket warriors, and the driving public.

Here are three important things to know about the 5-minute grace period law.

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