Cars blocking the sidewalk on 50th Avenue by the 108 precinct house (Twitter: @pabilas, Rodrigo Salazar)
July 9, 2019 By Shane O’Brien
Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer has penned a letter to the Police Commissioner calling on the NYPD to clamp down on motorists who park illegally on sidewalks and in bicycle lanes within the district.
In an open letter posted on Twitter Tuesday morning, Van Bramer said that the 108th Precinct, which covers Sunnyside, Woodside and Long Island City, had become an “epicenter” of illegally parked cars.
“The precinct is overrun with illegally parked cars whose owners have no concern or respect for the law or residents of the community,” Van Bramer wrote.
Van Bramer said that the problem of illegally parked cars has become an epidemic. He said that parents are often forced to walk their children to school on the road because the sidewalks are blocked by cars.
The Council Member added that the present situation was unsafe and unacceptable. He said that 15 cyclists have died this year and that illegally parked cars — particularly those in bike lanes–contribute to unsafe conditions for bicyclists.
“We need the enforcement and the resources to make this precinct safer,” Van Bramer wrote. “Cars that are illegally parked must get ticketed and towed.”
In his letter, Van Bramer listed a number of trouble spots where greater enforcement is needed. One of the problem areas, he noted, is on 50th Avenue outside the stationhouse.
Residents have taken to twitter to complain about the parking issue outside the precinct. Resident Rodrigo Salazar has been posting photos of vehicles blocking the sideway there for many months.
Illegal parking on our sidewalks & in our bike lanes is out of control in the @NYPD108Pct. I’m calling on @NYPDONeill to get involved here & enforce an immediate crackdown on drivers who continue to disregard the law & endanger our community. pic.twitter.com/46IfDSXDXm
— Jimmy Van Bramer (@JimmyVanBramer) July 9, 2019
@NYCDisabilities how a wheelchair can cross the street? @NYPD108Pct cans do better than this @NYCMayor @VisionZeroNYC @NYC_DOT @NYPDQueensNorth https://t.co/X7BGB66IsS
— Rodrigo Salazar (@pabilas) June 22, 2019
