This situation is driving local officials crazy.
A recent revealing report has shown that numerous illegally parked cars, predominantly belonging to city workers and contractors, are openly violating parking laws in downtown Brooklyn, creating “hazardous” conditions for pedestrians.
A survey conducted by the office of City Councilman Lincoln Restler indicated that on average, 457 vehicles were parked illegally each day across 60 blocks in downtown Brooklyn from May 26 to June 20, many utilizing government-issued or counterfeit placards, as well as items like NYPD vests, with a mere 3% being ticketed.
Numerous vehicles were observed in violation of no-parking zones, bus stops, and painted buffer zones, some displaying placards from the sheriff’s office, district attorney’s office, New York State Court Officers’ Association, and the US Postal Service, along with both marked and unmarked NYPD squad cars.
A white Jeep with Florida tags was spotted parked halfway on the curb during heavy rush hour along Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard. When approached by a reporter regarding her illegal parking, a worker with New Jersey plates merely shrugged and pointed to her court officer’s placard.
<p“Illegal parking has overwhelmed every block in downtown Brooklyn,” Restler remarked, emphasizing that these vehicles obstruct sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, and loading zones.
<p“There is minimal enforcement of illegal parking,” he continued, adding, “it’s time we take action to eliminate government-issued placards and enhance street designs to ensure downtown Brooklyn is safer for everyone.”
In response, an NYPD spokesperson refuted Restler’s allegations, stating that the department has been “actively” addressing illegal parking within the precinct, having issued 113,429 parking summonses this year alone, which includes 821 related to placards, and towing 2,018 vehicles while booting 511.
The NYPD has also recently put up “Tow Away Zone” signs at the intersection of Tillary and Navy streets beneath the Brooklyn Queens Expressway to deter illegal parking.
Restler, however, described the ongoing issues of illegal parking in Brooklyn as “unacceptable.”
<p“We require genuine enforcement,” he told The Post. “City workers, state employees, and court officials need to be accountable for their illegal parking throughout the neighborhood.”
The survey revealed that illegal parking was particularly prevalent around government facilities, with an average of 63 illegally parked vehicles noted daily outside the Kings County Courthouse on Adams Street, spanning from Joralemon to Johnson streets.
Over 60% of the cars parked near the courthouse displayed official placards, despite the availability of a 36-vehicle private parking lot and an additional 180 on-street spaces allocated for court personnel.
Furthermore, the survey indicated that the blocks surrounding the 84th Precinct, FDNY Engine 207 stationhouse, and NYPD Transit Special Victims Unit on Gold Street had an average of 102 illegally parked cars daily.
<p“It has become so common that everyone is aware government employees are taking all the parking spaces, although they shouldn’t have that privilege,” joked motorist Victor Newberry, 65, who was himself parked illegally outside a post office on Johnson Street.
<p“I believe they should be held to the same standard we are, and if they violate the rules, they should receive a ticket,” he added.
“It’s quite unfair. I think there should be designated areas for government parking,” said Prince John, 58, a security worker and Uber delivery driver from Brooklyn, who was parked illegally in a state judiciary zone after searching for parking near the post office.
Restler is advocating for a City Council bill to rescind 60,000 city-issued parking placards.
He has also re-emphasized calls for street safety redesigns that limit sidewalk and bike lane parking and for measures to allow citizen and automated parking enforcement.
Melissia, a lawyer who wished to remain anonymous, expressed her desire for city employees to comply with the rules.
“It consumes more time than I’d like to spend driving around,” lamented the 42-year-old mother, who often resorts to taking the J train from downtown Brooklyn due to parking difficulties.
<p“I wish to see our city officials adhering to the laws they enact.”
