NYC street parking 'virtually impossible'

Concerns over how NYC congestion pricing will affect the South Bronx

The MTA's plan to place a toll on vehicles who enter Manhattan south of 60th Street is aimed at reducing the amount of congestion in the central business district, but Bronx officials are raising concerns that the plan will increase the number of trucks in the Bronx.

NEW YORK - Despite continuing investments in mass transit, a massive spike in car ownership has made finding a parking space in New York City "virtually impossible" for drivers.

According to Bloomberg, a combination of factors are making finding a place to park your car in the city as difficult as finding a cheap apartment.

Employees continuing to work from home means some cars are never being moved, while outdoor dining sheds in front of restaurants are taking up even more valuable street space. The return of alternate-side parking hasn't helped either.

"Before Covid, it was bad enough," 61-year-old Brooklyn resident Dawn Kelly told Bloomberg. "It’s virtually impossible for me to find parking because nobody’s moving their cars."

West Side Highway bike lane proposal

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine wants the state to close one lane of the West Side Highway to vehicular traffic to create a two-way protected bike path.

Many New Yorkers have decided to get a car of their own rather than use subways or buses, increasing the problem.

According to the New York Times, from August to October 2020, there was a 76% rise in Manhattan car registrations and a 45% increase in Brooklyn vehicles compared to that time period the year before.

With prices for parking garages running up to $1,000 a month on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the situation is becoming "untenable" for many residents.

"Many people in the affluent areas of the city have second homes, and they register their cars to their second homes, they vote at their second homes," Renee Baruch told the New York Post. "They do all of this to avoid paying income taxes in New York City, and they get to park."

In May, Baruch launched NYC Resident Parking, a coalition trying to convince the city to dedicate a majority or large portion of spaces on residential roads exclusively for parking for nearby residents.

"It’s not a novel idea. New York is behind the times with this, as almost every major city has a residential parking program," Baruch told The Post.

In April, Mayor Eric Adams announced a $900M investment for his NYC Streets plan that would help take on the city's on-street parking problems, along with traffic safety.