June 15, 2015 By Jackie Strawbridge
Residents are railing against the Department of Transportation for inspiring what one resident called “the Hunger Games of monthly permit parking.”
As of May, the DOT removed about one third of monthly permitted spots in the Court Square parking garage next to the Courthouse, pushing drivers into the already crammed surrounding streets.
Previously, 330 spots were designated for monthly parkers; 120 of those are now used for daily parking.
The agency also modified its permit policy; whereas drivers used to renew their tickets at their convenience before a monthly deadline, permits are now given out first-come first-serve on a single day each month.
P.C. Cheng, who offered the Hunger Games quip, said that under the new policy drivers line up hours ahead of time to better their chances of getting a monthly permit.
“We’re here at 6:30 a.m. [on the day to get a monthly permit] because we need to know that we’re getting a parking spot,” Cheng said. “I can’t run down every hour to feed the meter. There are no other replacements for us.”
Neighbor Toni Duckworth said that she was denied a monthly permit after waiting in line for four hours.
“We have absolutely nowhere else to go,” Duckworth said. “You have people around here who are getting tickets every day because they can’t move their car in time.”
The DOT responded that the new policy represents a more “fair and efficient balance between daily and monthly permits,” according to a spokesman.
“Routinely this facility was forced to turn away a significant amount of motorists seeking parking on a more short-term basis,” the spokesman said of the old system. “Given this is the second month the new system is in place, DOT plans to review data obtained after several months of implementation and will make any necessary changes, if needed.”
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer said he is requesting that the DOT restore the number of monthly parking spots and its previous permit renewal policy that allows motorists to renew at their convenience.
“What has been done can be undone,” Van Bramer said. “They got this one wrong.”
Nicos Hadjiangelis, who lives across the street from the parking lot in the Arris Lofts, said he found out about the new policy only after a neighbor posted about it in a Yahoo forum.
Hadjiangelis said he cannot wait in the DOT’s new permit sign-up line because of his work schedule, so he had to move his car to a private lot 10 blocks away.
“It’s less convenient for sure,” Hadjiangelis said, adding that he now pays $350 per month, compared to $200 for the municipal lot.
According to DOT officials, the agency is working on an electronic permit reservation system expected to roll out this summer.
Previous Coverage
Featured Events
18 Comments
the anti-car people are retarded. some people need cars…for whatever reason…end of story. i have parked there for 8 years. i moved to LIC from Manhattan because it was cheaper. this garage was $180, and yes, i rec’d a tax abatement..and a huge apt for my growing family. these are the reasons i moved here. i’ve put up with a lot, but have gotten a lot back. this new policy is the most backwards insane thing i have experienced in all my time living in NYC, that includes the bronx for 5 years, manhattan for 21 and now LIC for 8. whoever implemented it should be fired. and it sounds like even move daily customers will be turned away because under untilzed monthly permit spots will remain empty…absolutely retired. the person that implemented this idea should be fired!!!
wow back in the 90s and early 00s i parked in the lot all the time. weekends and weekdays. it was never crowded. then i moved closer to this area and stopped needing to park there. wow thinks have changed!
$350.00 is too much! It’s $200 or $220 now! I believe residents pay 200 as they should!
are you people in an uproar because there are no parking spots at all in the neighborhood or because they have to pay more elsewhere? $350 seems reasonable, not sure why the DOT is offering it so cheaply at $200.
According to the article the going rate is $350 a month, the city should charge that much too. It might make people who don’t really need their cars to more seriously consider alternatives.
No reason for other taxpayers to subsidize parking for the people who are already getting 421a tax breaks on their condo taxes.
I can understand both sides of the argument. If you have a car, you have a car. It’s just a fact of life that you have to live with, and the mismanagement of this situation didn’t help. But on the other hand, owning a car while living in Court Square of all places seems like more of a hassle than it’s worth. Two friends of mine have cars, and I appreciate being able to hitch a ride to Food Bazaar. But I’m not quite sure it’s worth the expense when it’s so easy to get around from here.
The fact remains that we’re facing an infrastructure problem, as earlier commenters pointed out, and this doesn’t help. But I can sympathize with folks who drive into the area, but are only staying for a short time for whatever business they may have in the area. If there was a need for more of that kind of parking, this really is a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation for the DOT
I work in the neighborhood and object to the DOT forcing me to purchase a monthly pass in order to get a decent spot. I prefer to pay daily. When I roll in before 9 am, most of the “parking permit” designated spots all the way up to the 3rd floor are EMPTY and I have to go up on the roof where the non-permit people are relegated. The elevators are broken more often than not and walking up to the roof with health issues while carrying heavy bags is a nightmare. If you arrive after 9, there is NOWHERE to go and the outdoor lot across the street gouges people by charging double the daily rate of 10.50 because they know you have no where to go. Go back to a fair system for all members of the community. And, find somewhere else to park those vans with cameras that take up the entire first floor.
> new lic resident
As far as I know my friends who rent monthly spot, they commute places far from LIC and it’s not easy to access by subway. I have to commute eastern part of L.I and other areas in NYC. We are not complaining for convenience to park unnecessary luxury cars while we commute to Manhattan. We are mad because of their lousy management and unfairness of this change.
Just one more thing. I’m surprised many people hate car owners. I understand and I feel the same way you do when I see luxury cars that never moved in the parking lot. The point is not about car owner vs subway commuter but DOT waste unused spaces, and useless policy changes to decrease the quality of our infrastructure, and those spaces are paid by your tax money too. I guess this is common problem when city evolve; such as, support for public schools, bike lane, park, library, etc… either if you have related things to those public services – kids/bike/etc
My husband wants to buy a car here in Lic, I say forget about it! Especially now that we won’t be able to park in the municipal parking lot! Too many people too many buildings being built and business’s moving in! It’s crazy!
I also have the feeling that people need not use there cars to get to this neighborhood. Especially if you are the only person in the car. We have a lot of train and bus options. A car in the city is a luxury and luxuries like this come with exorbitant prices and hassles. I’m one less tailpipe in this city.
Unless you are commuting to Long Island or some far-flung place in Queens for work there really is no reason to own a car while living in this neighborhood.
You have the E, M, R, G, 7, N and Q trains all within short walking distance. The subway is $116 a month, compared to a car with insurance, gas money and the headache of finding a parking spot. And then when you do drive around you run the risk of being stuck in gridlock traffic quite often.
Really doesn’t make sense.
Absolutely I agree! Why bother owning a car in Lic! And more F€¥king buildings are being built! Mayhem complete mayhem!
LIC is one of the most public transportation-friendly neighborhoods in the entire city. So many subway lines. You can get to anywhere quite fast.
Sure… but not really. Especially if you want to leave the city.
build 50,000 more apts – where the hell do you think youre gonna park??? idiots!
Too many people have no critical thinking skills anymore.
How about not owning a car? The Court Square area is amply serviced by public transportation. If you need to drive, then maybe the neighborhood is no longer for you.