39th Street and Queens Blvd
Dec. 24, 2015 Staff Report
State Senator Michael Gianaris is calling on the Department of Transportation to do away with the 14-hour parking spaces located under the elevated 7 train tracks in Sunnyside.
Gianaris said the spots located on Queens Blvd between 38th Street and 44th Street are a draw for commuters from eastern Queens and Long Island to park their car in the neighborhood and take the train to work.
He wants the maximum parking times to be clipped back and wants the rules changed.
“The streets of Sunnyside are not meant to be a parking lot for commuters from outside our neighborhood,” Gianaris said.
“We don’t like the parking rules that basically tell people to come drive their cars to Sunnyside, leave them here and go to work,” Gianaris said at the Community Board 2 monthly meeting earlier this month.
Most of the spots between 38th Street and 44th Street are four-hour spaces. However, there are pockets of 14-hour spaces between 38th and 39th Streets and some between 41st and 42nd Streets.
The DOT is reviewing Gianaris’ request. The department said it was studying the issue and would make a determination that it will share with stakeholders, including elected officials and the community board.
The DOT made changes to this area four years ago when many of the spaces under the elevated 7 line in Sunnyside were for 12 hours. In 2011, the DOT converted 60 of those spaces to four hours.
Four hour Parking at Queens Blvd/39th Place
