Last Updated on August 11, 2022 by Lawrence Berezin

These parking challenges will provoke a powerful reaction
Over the years, NYC offered drivers many parking challenges. Yet, recently there has been a spate of challenges that trigger strong reactions and opinions. For example:
- A residential parking permit system
- Parking ticket vigilantes
- NYC’s outdoor dining program
- Congestion pricing
After each challenge, please share your valuable opinion by clicking on the “thumbs up or thumbs down” buttons.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
The parking challenge of a residential parking permit system

Reasons Why
– “All these outsiders driving in and parking in our neighborhood and then hopping on the subway downtown, instead of paying for a parking garage in Midtown.”
-“New York is the only modern Western city without a residential parking permit program.”
-“Parking permits—for residents and those regularly working in neighborhoods—would significantly reduce traffic coming into the city and lessen the chaotic and time-consuming competition for parking spots in such congested areas as the Upper West Side.”

Reasons Why Not
-It is unfair to discriminate against out-of-state drivers who work in NYC and pay NY State income tax.
-“This is a public street, and if I spend an hour looking for a parking space, I have just as much right as anyone to have it.”
-Securing parking spots was a vital part of New Yorkers’ hustle, and government should not get involved.
[Sources: NY Post__NY Times__West Side Rag]
Please vote, yay or nay
[yop_poll id=”2″]
Parking Vigilantes
You gotta read this article about the day in the life of a parking vigilante.

Reasons Why
– To catch a thief.
-All’s fair in love and parking wars.
-The means justify the end of eliminating parking placard abuse.

Reasons Why Not
– Charles Bronson clone.
– The time wasted is not worth the one parking ticket issued.
-Next, we’ll have vigilantes riding buses with their phone cameras trying to nab bus lane violators.
[Source: STREETSBLOGNYC__Larry’s Blog]
Please vote yay or nay
[yop_poll id=”2″]
Outdoor dining

Reasons Why
– “The program has been a lifeline for restaurants since it was implemented in the early days of the pandemic.”
-Restaurants need outdoor dining to stay in business.

Reasons Why Not
–These dining structures are infested with rats and used as garbage dumps.
-They eliminate much-needed parking spaces.
-These structures coopt the sidewalk.
[Source: Bloomberg__Larry’s Blog]
Please vote yay or nay
[yop_poll id=”2″]
Congestion pricing

Reasons Why
-Congestion pricing is meant to discourage drivers and address the city’s gridlocked streets.

Reasons Why Not
-It is not fair to out-of-state drivers who are faced with paying bride and tunnel tolls along with a congestion pricing toll.
–
[Source: Spectrum News NY 1__Larry’s Blog]
Please vote, yay or nay
[yop_poll id=”2″]
Commentary
How strongly do you feel about each of these four challenges? Please vote yay or nay. Likewise, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Let us know your opinion!
Larry,
I can’t seem to find any “Yay” or “Nay” buttons in the article’s four sections.
Hi Clem,
Blog post writers are also faced with challenges. Meanwhile, the voting app I used worked fine on the preview. But, when I published the post, it didn’t work! argh!
I was able to find another app and get it to work on the post. Ergo, we finally have our voting machines.
Thanks for the heads-up Clem!
I’d love you to cast your vote.
Thanks.
Regards,
Larry
1. Residential Parking Permits May work in the outer boroughs but in Manhattan proper (not Inwood), the area is way too dense. You do not have enough spots.
2. Placards? Sure, the city can’t enforce this with their manpower.
3. Outdoor dining has outlived it’s time. If a restaurant still uses it regularly, if we have another lockdown, but until then they’ve become a sanitation nuisance.
4. Congestion pricing is good. It gives much needed MTA revenue, and will help limit central core traffic.
Hi Trent,
Good afternoon.
Excellent comment.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on these important challenges.
Be safe.
Regards,
Larry