NY State Legislature Debates Residential Parking Permits For Brooklyn

Parking Debate: In two competing columns in the Brooklyn Daily, two state senators, one Republican and one Democratic, both representing Brooklyn districts, debate the merits of residential parking permit districts in Brooklyn neighborhoods.

The stage shifted to Albany after the "City Council voted to send a home rule message to the state Senate. It is asking for the right to allow residential parking permits to be issued, for a fee, by neighborhood", as Sen. Marty Golden wrote in his piece below Sen. Daniel Sqadron's column.

Daniel Squadron, a Democrat, who represents Brooklyn Heights in the state Senate, wrote a bill that "would set aside spots for residents on their streets while leaving at least 20 percent of spaces for visitors and non-permit parking. (C)ommunities would opt into the program through public hearings with the local community board and City Council member. The exact cost (of the parking permit) would be set by the City Council, but other cities provide a pretty good estimate: anywhere from free to about $100 a year. Revenue from the permits would directly fund the upgrading and improvement of NYC subways and buses."

In "We pay enough already - and deserve free parking!", Marty Golden, a Republican who represents Bay Ridge in the state Senate, opposes the legislation primarily because he feels it adds a fee to over-taxed residents. However, it appears that the legislation doesn't set a fee - it just allows one to be charged.

"I understand the daily struggle we all face to find parking, but we need solutions that do not include forcing New Yorkers to pay even more to the city. (F)or a program like this to be put in place, it would require another bloated government agency to issue, enforce, and regulate these fee-based parking permits."

Golden will have an edge if senators vote on a strictly partisan basis as Republicans are the majority party in the senate.

Thanks to Streetsblog NYC