Why isn’t most NYC parking free? The street is public property, right?

If all street parking were free, then many people wouldn’t move their cars and people wouldn’t be able to find an empty spot. So charging for on-street parking is a way to manage the supply and demand, plus generate revenue for NYC to maintain the city. And since street parking is highly sought after, NYC can charge for it based on its value to drivers.

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When it comes to NYC parking, you have three choices: the first two are a non-metered, free parking space on the street, or try to find a vacant metered space. If that fails, there are 1,100 NYC parking garages in Manhattan alone that will take your car, make sure it isn’t stolen or damaged, and charge you appropriately for it.

But we found at least 20 ways to save on both NYC street and NYC garage parking. If you think of any more ways, let us know!

NYC Street Parking

1.) Non-Metered Streets: there are many streets in residential areas where there is free parking on the street. Usually in the E 60s and above, or the W 70s and above.
2.) Park on Sundays: On Sundays, NYC parking meter rules are suspended so you don’t have to feed the meter.
3.) Don’t Park near a Fire Hydrant: This will save you $115 on a NYC fire hydrant ticket.
4.) Park after 7pm: Most meters do not require payment after 7pm.
5.) Watch the No Stopping, No Standing, No Parking Signs: A NYC parking ticket can cost you anywhere from $90 – $150. Check the rules in the chart to the right.
6.) Pay the Meter: If you don’t pay the meter, a NYC parking ticket will cost you $35 – $65.

NYC Garage Parking

1.) Early Bird Special: Most off-street NYC garages will offer a lower rate if you enter before 10am and exit by 6 or 7pm.
2.) Evening Special: Enter after 4 or 5pm, exit by midnight.
3.) Park Farther From the Center: NYC Garages are more expensive closer to the middle of Manhattan from Lexington – 7th Ave. Lower rates will be from 1st – 3rd Aves and 8th – 12th Aves (theater district may not follow this norm).
4.) Use an Outdoor Lot: Many outdoor lots are a little less expensive than indoor garages, particularly for monthly customers.
5.) Use Flat Rate Coupons: A number of NYC garages now offer flat rates for 6, 12, and 24 hours. These rates are less expensive than the hourly rates. Central Parking, QuikPark, and Icon Parking offer these coupons.
6.) Be a Monthly Customer: More garages are offering Customer Loyalty Programs with discounts on daily parking if you are a Monthly Parking Customer. Central Parking, GGMC, QuikPark, Edison Parking, and Icon Parking all offer their monthly parking customers this benefit.
7.) Leave Your Key: If you forget to leave your key in the car, the garage may charge up from $25 to the full towing fee.
8.) Daily Coupons: Some garages have even better NYC parking rates for daily parking on their websites.
Weekend Special: Many garages will offer a lower rate for daytime parking on Saturday and Sunday.
9.) Drive a Smaller Vehicle: 92% of NYC garages will charge $10 – $15 extra if you drive an SUV or an oversized vehicle.
10.) Mobile Coupons: Central Parking gives up to 50% discount on daily parking through its mobile app.
11.) Event Rate: Park farther away from a stadium or theater when there is a major event so you don’t have to pay the special event rate.
12.) Don’t Stay Overnight: Some garages will charge the more expensive overnight rate if you stay after 5 – 6am and don’t use a flat rate coupon.
13.) Read Your Claim Check: Confirm that the time stamped on your claim check is the actual time you started parking.

The MTA is adding more NYC subway stations to have cellphone access. We already have these station stairs and platforms with cellphone access:

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	F/M and L platforms on 14th St. and Sixth Ave.,
	1/2/3 platform at 14th St. and Seventh Ave.,
	L and A/C/E/ platforms at 14th St. and Eighth Ave., and
	C/E platform on 23rd St. and Eighth Ave.

New stations will be:

	B/D and F/M platforms at Rockefeller Center,
	1/2/3, 7, and N/Q/R platforms at Times Square.

You should be able to access your cellphone in these NYC subway stations by late July or early August 2012. After that, about 5-6 stations a month will begin to offer cellphone service.

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.

Information for NYC parking for disabled persons: getting a vehicle license plate for disabled persons, parking permit for disabled persons, parking for disabled people.

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Who is eligible for vehicle plates for NYC parking for disabled persons or a parking permit for disabled persons?

The NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law defines the permanent disabilities that qualify. If you have a permanent disability that qualifies, you can get vehicle plates for reserved parking from the DMV or a parking permit from your local government. It is illegal to park in a parking space reserved for persons with disabilities if you do not have the correct vehicle plates or parking permit. You can use the vehicle plates or parking permit in New York State and in most other states.

How do I get a parking permit for disabled persons?

You and your healthcare provider can complete the application form MV-664.1. You also can have your healthcare provider (MD, DO, DPM, or NP) complete a statement on their letterhead. The statement must describe the disabling condition and verify that the disability qualifies according to the law. Bring the form or statement to the issuing agency in your locality (normally the office of your city clerk, town clerk or village clerk). There is no fee for a permit. Remember that the DMV does not issue the parking permits.

How do I get vehicle plates for the disabled?

* Bring the proof of your disability (either form MV-664.1 or the statement from your healthcare provider) and current vehicle plates to any DMV office.
* Bring your proof of identity.
* Complete the application form, pay $18.75, and surrender your current vehicle plates. Remove frames and fasteners before you surrender a vehicle plate or vehicle plates. The DMV office will not accept a vehicle plate with a frame or any fasteners attached.
* Vehicle plates for disabled persons are issued only for vehicles registered in the name of the disabled person.
* Each disabled person can have one set of vehicle plates.

How much is the fine for someone who parks in a parking space or an access aisle reserved for disabled persons?

– $50 to $75 for a first offense
– $75 to 150 for a second offense
– The locality can add to the amount of these fines. The law also allows police officers to tow and store illegally-parked vehicles.

How is the number of reserved parking spaces for disabled persons determined?

A locality can establish a local law or ordinance to reserve parking spaces on a street and install the signs. Municipalities do not have control over the assignment of parking spaces in private parking lots, but many facilities provide their own reserved parking. If you have a question about reserved parking for disabled persons on a specific street, determine if the street is part of county, city, town, village or state property. Then contact the correct officials for that locality. Shopping centers that include five or more retail stores are also required to provide and reserved parking spaces for disabled customers.

Is reserved parking for people with disabilities available in New York City?

New York City (NYC) issues parking permits and vehicle plates for disabled persons to its residents, but there are no reserved spaces in NYC. If you have questions about reserved parking for disabled persons in NYC, contact the NYC Department of Transportation, Bureau of Traffic.

What is a metered parking waiver and how do I get one?

From the DMV web site, you can download the information form and the Application for Metered Parking Waiver for Persons with Severe Disabilities (Forms MV-664.1 and MV-664.2)

The DMV does not issue metered parking waivers. The same agency that issues parking permits for the disabled in your locality also issues the metered parking waivers.

The NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law does not allow New York City to issue metered parking waivers to NYC residents, and the New York City Department of Transportation does not issue metered parking waivers.

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.

NYC’s MTA has just announced the winners of the best smartphone software applications for riders. The winners were chosen by the MTA.

Embark NYC — lets you plan your NYC subway trip and see subway schedules for a particular route. Includes an interactive map of the subway system. IPhone, Android.

Free NYC Subway Locator — lets use find the nearest NYC subway stop. IPhone.

The public also voted on a winner:

CityMaps– gives you real-time information about local businesses with NYC subway information about how to reach them.

8.5 million people use the NYC subway system every day.

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.

NYC isn’t giving out enough tickets to drivers who idle their vehicles, according to a recent CNN article. There were about 10 million NYC parking tickets issued in fiscal year 2010, and only 2,989 ‘idling’ parking tickets issued in fiscal year 2011.

The NYC law used to be that New York drivers had three minutes to turn off idling engines, but in 2009 the city passed more stringent laws: Drivers now have one minute to turn off their engines if they’re adjacent to a school. On average, agents are issuing one idling parking ticket per year.

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.

New Yorkers can stop complaining about the cost of NYC street parking, at least for a few minutes. The news just came in that Vancouver street parking is actually the most expensive street parking in North America, at $5.75 per hour.

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But NYC and Chicago are close behind at $5.00, and then San Francisco at $4.25.

And if you overstay your NYC parking meter? Then you, along with folks in San Francisco, will be paying the highest amount for your NYC parking ticket, at $65 each.

The survey, done by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, showed that:

Hourly Parking Meter Rates

1. Vancouver — $5.75 (lowest rate is 1.00)

2. New York City & Chicago — $5.00 ( NYC’s Greenwich Village is highest while lowest rate is $2.50 in downtown, Chicago’s lowest rate is $1.50)

4. San Francisco — $4.25 (lowest rate is $.75)

Parking Ticket Fines

1. San Francisco & New York City — $65

42. St. Louis, Champagn — $10

Last year, we told you that you could use a NYC Muni-Meter receipt at more than one NYC street parking spot. So if you purchased 3 hours and only used 2 hours, you could still use that receipt for the third hour if you needed to park somewhere else — that also had a NYC Muni-Meter.

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Sadly, that convenience may be changing. The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) is considering changing the rules so that you can use what’s left on the Muni-Meter receipt ONLY at a meter that charges the same rates.

We’re not sure how much this is happening, but the NYC DOT doesn’t want people buying up really cheap parking and then parking in a more expensive area. You can still use a Muni-Meter receipt at multiple parking spaces if you have time on the receipt, but all the spaces have to be at the same parking rates and regulations.

If the change goes through, you could get a NYC parking ticket if you try to trick the system.

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.

The long debate is over — women are better at parking than men!

Who Finds a Parking Space Quicker?

Women are better at finding a parking space. They’re more patient and drive a little slower while looking, so they’re better equipped to glimpse that empty spot or see when someone is about to leave a parking space. Disclosure: this study focused on public parking garages, not street parking.

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Who Has a Better Pre-Parking Pose?

It’s all in the preparation. If you start out correctly, then it’s really easy to park perfectly and impress all those around you. But if you try to wing it, then you’ll be going between Drive and Reverse enough times to embarrass yourself. Once again, women ranked higher in this category with 77% scoring ‘Good’ or ‘Very Good’ vs 53% of the men getting the thumbs up.

Back Into the Spot or Just Drive Right In?

Even before the women started parking, nearly 40% of them knew they were going to use Instructor Approved ‘Rear Entry Method’ to get into the parking space. Only 28% of the men chose this method, leaving the other 72% to tackle the parking space head on.

Who Gets in the Parking Space the Fastest?

The men were definitely faster, getting their vehicles parked in 16 seconds. The women took 21 seconds. If we park our cars about 3 times a day, and drive for about 50 years, that could mean that women spend 12 days just parking. Men? They get away with just 9 days.

Drive, Reverse, Drive, Reverse

It’s called the ‘Reposition Shuffle’ when you go back and forth between Drive and Reverse to get into the parking space. Who does is more? Women weren’t happy with their first attempt and 56% of them did the shuffle to get better positioned. The men were much happier with their efforts, and only 29% of them felt the need to keep moving the vehicle.

Where Does the Car End Up?

This study gave the highest importance to the cars being parking ‘Centrally’ in the allotted space. Women did this just over half of the time, whereas the men — who got into the space quicker and wanted out, had a ‘Central Finish’ only 25% of the time.

*Study was conducted by National Car Parks (NCP) in the UK, by studying CCTV footage of 453 drivers parking in public parking garages and another 2,000 drivers. The parking spaces were 90 degree stalls, perpendicular to the driving lanes.

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.

If you jump the NYC subway turnstile or scoot through the emergency exit, think again. The NY State Senate just passed a bill to fine you $500 for trying to save on the $2.25 fare. The current fine is $100.

If the NY State Assembly passes the bill, then it’s the law.

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We were thinking, ‘What’s a few people beating the fare? How much can it really cost NYC?’ Get ready to pick your jaw up from the floor, because the MTA estimates that all that turnstile jumping in the NYC subway loses the MTA $31 million every year.

The bill was drafted by Senator Charles Fuschillo (R – Long Island), who also serves as Chairman of the NY State Senate’s Transportation Committee. Fuschillo initiated the increase after the NY Daily News broke the news about a NYC Transit study showing that most regular fare-beaters get caught and fined $100 once every six to 13 weeks. At that rate, it’s cheaper to just pay the $100 fine rather than buy 6 weekly MetroCards.

According to a recent Daily News story by Pete Donohue, the MTA has the authority to increase fines for violating the Rules of Conduct.

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.

Yes, it can be done! With the expert advice and help of New York Parking Ticket, I beat a NYC parking ticket for “No Standing”. Here’s what happened:

On October 16, 2011, I parked on Greenwich Street in lower Manhattan. I, along with a lawyer, read the parking signs for about 5 minutes before we decided that it was fine to park there on a Sunday afternoon. The immediate area had a series of NYC parking signs including:

– No Standing 6AM – 10AM Except Sunday
– No Standing Except Buses, Metered Parking 3 hr Limit 10AM – 3PM Except Sunday
– Bus Layover Zone, No Standing Except Authorized Buses, 3PM – 7Pm Except Sunday
– No Standing Except Trucks Loading & Unloading 6AM – 10AM Except Sunday
– 3PM – 7Pm Except Sunday
– Other Times No Standing Anytime

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To make it even more confusing, some of the signs were in red and others were in white. In NYC, a street parking sign’s level of importance uses the colors Red, White, and then Blue, with Red being the most important to follow.

New York Parking Ticket advised me to take many pictures of the area where I parked and include all the NYC parking signs, street name signs, markings on the street, nearby intersections, and anything else I felt would help prove my case.

Then New York Parking Ticket drafted an affidavit explaining:

1.) Where I had parked,
2.) What my NYC parking violation was for,
3.) Which parking signs were relevant to me,
4.) Why I felt the parking ticket was not justified, and
5.) Requested that the parking violation be dismissed.

I had the letter notarized and mailed it Return Receipt so I had proof of sending and receipt.

I also included a photo showing that the street parking sign could have been addressing the street it is on, or the street perpendicular to the sign.

My Decision and Order letter from the City of New York Department of Finance dismissing the NYC parking violation says:

‘Respondent claims that there was no sign posted where the vehicle was parked. Respondent’s claim is supported by persuasive documentary evidence, clear corner to corner photos as well as credible testimony that there were numerous sign posts without signs attached and no sign matching the one cited on the summons posted anywhere on the block’.

How’s that for a NYC parking ticket success story!

Margot Tohn of Park It spends her day coming up with ways to make driving, parking and walking in NYC easier. Check out her musings at www.parkitnyc.com.