Proposed legislation by a City Councilman aims to escalate the penalty for repeated violations of alternate side parking in the five boroughs.

Currently, the fine for failing to move a vehicle during designated alternate side parking hours stands at $65, regardless of the number of violations.

However, Brooklyn Councilman Lincoln Restler, who appeared on "Mornings On 1" Tuesday, said he believes there is now a need to increase the fine to incentivize repeat offenders to comply.

“By failing to move our cars, the streets are getting dirtier. Rats are getting infested in our neighborhoods. We need to do more to clean up our streets – we need to look out for our neighborhoods,” he said.

What You Need To Know

  • The fine for failing to move a vehicle during designated alternate side parking hours stands at $65

  • The proposal would increase fines to $100 for the second and third offense and allow the city to tow vehicles on the fourth offense

  • Restler said 7% of drivers are responsible for nearly 30% of alternate side parking tickets

Under his proposal, fines would start at $65 for the first offense and go up to $100 for second and third violations. If a vehicle continues to violate the regulations beyond the third offense, it would be subjected to towing.

Restler said New Yorkers who forget to move their car once in a while are not the target of the proposal.

“It’s a very small percentage of car owners that are the repeat offenders. About 7% of car owners in New York City represent nearly 30% of the alternate side parking tickets. These are the folks that we're trying to bring some real accountability to,” he said.

He noted that the fines are lower than current parking rates in some areas of the city, which is why the city needs to crack down on those who see violations as a parking fee.

“In Boerum Hill, it costs $600, $800 to find an off-street parking spot. People decide an occasional ticket at $65 is worth the price of admission. And unfortunately, it has real detrimental impacts for our community,” Restler said.

In 2020, the fine for disregarding alternate side parking rules was set at $65 citywide. Prior to that, the $65 fine exclusively applied to drivers below 96th Street in Manhattan, while other parts of the city maintained a $45 penalty.

The city suspended alternate side parking temporarily in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, but reinstated the previous regulations in July 2022 as part of an $11 million investment to enhance street cleanliness.

Alternate side parking is suspended on Sundays and major holidays.