Tight New York Parking Blamed on City Employee Permits

"The city has given out no fewer than 142,000 free parking permits to public employees and others. That’s twice as many as City Hall had estimated were in circulation."

"And after two months of research, city officials cannot say who has them all."

"Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced in January that he would crack down on the perk and would cut by 20 percent the number of permits on the streets by March 1. The mayor was under pressure to do something about the permits, in part because he had been pushing for a congestion pricing plan that would charge most drivers who bring their cars into Midtown Manhattan."