COVID-19 Continues to Dramatically Impact Living and Parking in NYC

Last Updated on August 15, 2021 by Lawrence Berezin

COVID-19 significantly affects our daily decisions

-Mayor de Blasio announced that NYC schools shall remain closed for the rest of the school year due to COVID-19.

-But, Governor Cuomo said, “The mayor does not have the authority to make that decision, only I do.”

-The Alternate Side Parking Rules suspension will end on April 17, 2010. Will the ASP Rules suspension be extended?

-There is a shelter in place order covering NYC and beyond. When will it end?

-What will living in NYC look like six months from now?

-How does COVID-19 effect you and your family?

Are NYC Schools closed for the rest of the school year due to COVID-19?

Yes, according to Mayor de Blasio

“There’s nothing easy about this decision,” Mr. de Blasio said during a news briefing on Saturday morning. “Lord knows, having to tell you we cannot bring our schools back for the rest of the school year is painful. I can also tell you it is the right thing to do. It will help us save lives.”

Maybe, according to Governor Cuomo.

“Gov. Cuomo said, ‘no decision’ on closing schools in the state or city due to COVID-19. He described the mayor’s announcement as Mr. de Blasio’s ‘opinion.'”

The governor and mayor have been political rivals for years. New York City typically makes its own decisions about closures, including snow days.

Does the decision to close schools affect parking in a school zone?

Yes.

Normally you may park in a school zone and ignore school zone parking restrictions when:

• School is in recess, and there are no other events at the school.
• The tricky part is figuring out whether any other events are going on, such as parent-teacher conferences or teacher workshops.

I suspect there will not be other events going on while schools are closed for COVID-19, but check anyway.

How about Alternate Side Parking Rules?

COVID-19 ASP Rules remain suspended until April 17, 2020.

The City will decide to continue the suspension or reinstate the rules due to the Corona Virus.

This may be a good time to review some rules and debunk some myths. Here is some information published on the NYC website

When ASP is suspended, you must still follow any other posted parking time limits and rules.

Suspension Timing

When ASP is suspended, it applies from midnight the day before until midnight the day of the suspension.

Larry: Okie Dokie

Grace Period

You have a 5-minute grace period for the parking meter and ASP zones. The law gives drivers an extra 5 minutes past the expired time on the parking meter receipt and ASP signs. During the grace period, parking tickets cannot be issued.

Larry: if an ASP Rule starts at 9:00 a.m., a ticket cannot be issued until 9:06 a.m.

No Stopping, No Standing, No Parking

On major legal holidays, you can park at a No Stopping, No Standing, or No Parking sign if the rule is not in effect seven days a week (for example, No Standing Anytime). Otherwise, you can’t.

The major legal holidays are

• New Year’s Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day.

Larry: Well said.

Double Parking

It is illegal to double park passenger vehicles at all times. Commercial vehicles may double park to make quick pick-ups, deliveries or service calls during posted hours only.

While on some streets, it may be common practice to double park during street cleaning, it is still illegal.

(See NYC Traffic Rules in Chapter 4, Section 4-08, subdivision (f), paragraph (1) )

You can contact the police precinct for questions about enforcement. To find a precinct, go to the Police Precincts and PSAs page.

Larry: There is a minority view of double parking. You can double park while stopping temporarily to drop off or pick up a passenger from the curb, and leave

In other words, you cannot wait for a passenger to take the elevator from their 15-floor apartment, walk through the lobby, across the sidewalk, and step into your chariot. The passenger must be waiting at the curb

Likewise, you can’t drop off your Aunt Tilly and wait for her to walk across the sidewalk, enter her building, walk through the lobby, and take the elevator to her 15-floor apartment.

[See, Got Tickets? NYC.gov, pages 10 and 14]

Rules for Specific Streets

NYC311 cannot give you information on how City parking rules might apply to specific situations. You should follow the rules posted about time limits and whether it is legal or illegal to park in a specific area. Because New York City Traffic Rules only require one sign for each block, you should check the whole block and read all signs carefully before you park. To learn more about parking at specific locations, go to the Parking Signs and Rules page.

Larry: In other words, you gotta check in front and behind your parking space for the first parking sign in either direction. If the arrow on the first parking sign in front of your car points to your parking space, the rule on the sign regulates your car (or, if there are no arrows it means that the sign regulates the parking spaces in both directions until the next parking sign).

And, if the first sign behind your parking space displays an arrow that points to your car, the rule also regulates your parking space. Remember, according to the rock, paper scissors rule of parking in NYC, the stricter rule beats the lenient rule. For example, no standing anytime beats no parking 9 am to 5 pm

Once you identify the first sign in front or behind your car, in my humble opinion you don’t have to look any further.

Why? Because the rule displayed by any other sign on the block would only regulate the parking spaces between the second sign and the first sign.

The Evil Empire insists that you gotta take photos of all the parking signs, (front and back of the signs) on the entire block. I totally disagree for the reason I stated in the above paragraph.

I think the Evil Empire is trying to persuade you not to fight a ticket because it is difficult to take photos on an entire block. Don’t fall for it! When you’re right, fight!

A few more ASP tips from Larry

• You cannot legally double park your chariot on the unrestricted side of the street during street cleaning hours
• It is prohibited to sit in your car on the restricted side of the street
• And move it as the street cleaner approaches
• These rules are the same for every neighborhood in NYC.
• So, if you get away with double parking on the unrestricted side of the street
• Or sitting in your car on the restricted side of the street in your neighborhood, it is still illegal!
• If a Warrior or Cop gives you a ticket, she’s gotta enter your name on the parking ticket to serve it properly.
• Likewise for double parking. If not, I would fight the ticket and argue lack of proper service. Likewise, with double parking.

Commentary

All of you have been on my mind and I pray for your safety and well-being.

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