Cathy Reilly fed the muni-meter on a cold Monday in late December, and was angry to learn that in only a few weeks, her quarter will not go as far.
Beginning on Monday, January 3, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced, 25 cents will only buy 15 minutes at a parking meter, not 20.
“I’m not happy about it,” Reilly told The Courier on Monday, December 13. “That belongs in Manhattan it shouldn’t be in Queens or any of the other boroughs. I don’t want to have to pay an arm and a leg.”
But the DOT did not forget Manhattan.
Where passenger and commercial parking rates at muni-meters in Manhattan south of 86th Street are $2.50 per hour, they will increase to $3 per hour.
A statement by the agency reads, “The change was included as part of a package of citywide budget-gap closing proposals and is expected to be implemented over a six-month period beginning in January 2011 and ending June 30.”
Throughout the borough residents and business owners alike are not happy.
“This appears to be déjà vu all over again,” said Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association (WRBA) Director Maria Thomson, who is also executive director of the Woodhaven Business Improvement District and the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation. “This will really hurt small mom-and-pop stores on Jamaica Avenue, and deal a painful blow to local commercial strips across New York City.”
“I expect this rate increase will hurt the businesses on Jamaica, Liberty, Myrtle, Metropolitan, Grand and Continental Avenues, Cross Bay and Rockaway Boulevards, all lined with parking meters,” said Senator Joseph Addabbo, who represents those areas. “It will also result in more parking tickets for residents and other consumers who, instead of boosting their local small businesses, will drive out of these areas to malls with parking lots to avoid such parking harassment.”
Opinions are the same in western Queens, where Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer said small businesses, and the people who shop with them, cannot afford another expense.
“I think that the city has to stop nickel and diming people in an attempt to fight its way out of a fiscal crisis. They are really going after working and middle class people, small businesses and their customers with this,” said Van Bramer. “There is a fear that people won’t shop as much locally and that’s a real concern. Small businesses support their neighborhoods and raising meter rates is not going to be helpful in that effort. Every quarter counts.”
WRBA President Edward K. Wendell points out that this is the second time in less than two years the (DOT) has increased meter rates. As recently as spring of 2009, a quarter bought 30 minutes at a parking meter.
“I hope the DOT at least has the decency this time to post signs informing everyone of the change,” he said, noting that in 2009, after the last rate increase, many drivers were caught by surprise because the DOT did not post any warnings of the price hike.
Many drivers who talked to The Courier were not aware of the impending increase this time around either.
“I had no idea,” said Marc Allens. “And when I would have gotten a ticket the city wouldn’t have cared. They would’ve just wanted my money.”
Mary Ann Carey, district manager of Community Board 9, did not know of the rate change, and said, “To my knowledge there was no comment or discussion on it.”
Angry motorists feel they are being bilked by the city.
“It’s just another way the city will get our money,” said Sandra Marcuso.
Addabbo questions how parking ticket and meter fees already collected by the DOT are spent.
“Do New Yorkers get any benefit out of all the money that’s collected from parking offenders,” he asked. “At a time when everyone feels their wallets can’t take any more hits, does the city and DOT really want to punish small mom-and-pop shops and hurt local commercial strips already reeling across New York City?”
Addabbo continued, “I’d like to work with other local electeds, other local BIDs like Woodhaven’s, more civic organizations and block associations in Queens – to take our borough’s opposition to such an annoying parking meter increase right to the doorstep of City Hall in Manhattan. That’s a much smaller borough, where vehicles and their drivers have not been welcome for some time.”
With reporting by Bob Doda, Steve Mosco and Billy Rennison
