A proposal from the state Senate that would create permitted street parking across the five boroughs is drawing sharp criticism from some New York City lawmakers.
City Council members Justin Brannan and Amanda Farias and state Assemblyman Kenny Burgos joined “Mornings On 1” Thursday and said the areas they represent already have limited parking and that the Senate proposal would make matters worse.
“The reason why you can't find a spot in my neighborhood is not because people from Kentucky are parking in Bay Ridge. It's because there's more cars in Bay Ridge than there are parking spots. So me then paying for a spot – that's not going to guarantee my spot – forget about it. It’s not going to work,” said Brannan, who represents parts of southern Brooklyn.
The proposal from the Senate would charge drivers $30 per permit in order to park on city streets in some neighborhoods. The Senate has estimated that the program could generate roughly $400 million annually for the MTA.
However, the trio of lawmakers said the plan would mostly punish working class New Yorkers who live in areas where public transportation is either not an option or very limited.
“This is a way for the Senate to raise money for the MTA to close the MTA budget gap, which we all need to do. But closing that gap on the backs of middle class, working class car owners who live in the outer borough transit deserts is not the way to do it,” Brannan said.
Burgos, who represents southeastern Bronx, agreed, saying that New Yorkers should not be forced to pay for parking that is not guaranteed to them.
“There are many neighborhoods that you have to drive around for a few minutes, sometimes an hour, to find a spot,” he said. “So we can't have a permit parking isn't gonna guarantee your spot. It's just charging you a fee and getting nothing in return.”
The measure was added to the Senate’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. It remains unclear if Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Assembly will agree to adopt the proposal.
State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris, who spoke on “Mornings On 1” Wednesday, believes there could be support for the proposal in certain neighborhoods, and not every part of New York City has to adopt the measure.
“If there's a particular neighborhood that it would serve very well, [the City Council] can implement it there, and if there are others that are less desirous of it, they don't have to do it,” Gianaris said. “But we gave the city wide latitude to decide how they want to implement this and where.”
However, Farias, who also represents southeastern Bronx, believes the plan may fall flat, as it has during previous administrations.
“I'm not quite sure that there'll be an appetite for this. I mean, this is something that has come up in the past to the City Council and previous administrations, and we have not taken it on,” she said. “So we will definitely have to see where this council stands as this moves through.”