By Philip Newman
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has signed into law a bill that supporters said would clarify a parking regulation known as the broken meter rule, which City Councilman John Liu (D−Flushing) said had long unjustly penalized drivers who are ticketed.
The measure had been approved by the Council two weeks ago.
It was introduced by Councilman Simcha Felder (D−Brooklyn). The legislation removes the one−hour limit and permits motorists to park at broken meters the same amount of time as at functioning meters.
City traffic rules create what supporters of the measure said are confusing conditions under which motorists can park at a missing meter up to the amount of time normally allowed in that parking zone, but limits the allowed time to one hour if the meter is broken.
David Woloch, deputy commissioner of the city Department of Transportation, appeared at a public hearing on the broken meter rule and expressed the city agency’s opposition to changing it.
“The broken meter rule is another example of city parking rules that are grounded in faulty premises and yet unduly penalize conscientious and law−abiding citizens,” Liu said.
“Mayor Bloomberg signing this bill over the objections of the New York City Department of Transportation is a good step toward making the city more livable and less punitive,” the councilman said. Bloomberg signed the bill Monday.
Liu said that at a time when the city is facing a multibillion−dollar budget deficit, “there will be the temptation to issue ever−more parking tickets, which will unfortunately result in more abuses and unfair ticketing.”
As chairman of the Council’s Transportation Committee, he vowed the panel would “continue to pursue changes to parking rules that serve little purpose other than to regard the driving public as a cash cow.”
The New York Times reported that parking summons have shot up by 42 percent since Bloomberg became mayor in 2002.
“This report confirms the pervasive sentiment that ticket writing in New York City is getting out of hand,” Liu said. “The city is losing credibility trying to justify that issuing all these parking summonses are intended only to keep traffic moving and people safe.”
He added: “The bottom line is that parking ticket revenue has indeed multiplied in just the last few years and will soon approach $1 billion annually.”
Reach contributing writer Philip Newman by e−mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 136.
