NYC Council Bills Aimed At Easing Parking

Three bills introduced in the New York City Council on Tuesday aim to ease parking restrictions for residents in an increasingly traffic-clogged city.

The first of the three — all of which are sponsored by Councilman David Greenfield — would allow parking in front of a broken fire hydrant. Many fire hydrants are not functional and simply have not been removed. They will be painted green so drivers will know which ones they may park in front of.

Another item requires the city to immobilize with a wheel lock for at least 72 hours before towing any vehicle. This would not apply to vehicles illegally parked at bus stops, fire hydrants, crosswalks, or in tow away zones, that are blocking legal driveways, or when the immediate towing of the vehicle is required as a matter of public safety.

The third legislation does away with the requirement to feed parking meters on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the busiest shopping day of the year.

The bills will now be considered by the Council’s transportation committee.

“I am committed to making life easier for all of New York’s drivers,” Greenfield said. “These bills are each designed to solve a real problem in a practical way.”

This article appeared in print on page 28 of the January 20th, 2016 edition of Hamodia.