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New Bill Could Free Drivers From Existential Dread Of Alternate-Side Parking
By
Alexandra Svokos
Published Jun 30, 2014
Modified Jun 30, 2014
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By
Alexandra Svokos
Published Jun 30, 2014
Modified Jun 30, 2014
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Today the City Council is considering a bill that could liberate New York motorists from the burdens of a timeless, Sisyphean New York ritual. The proposed legislation would free drivers from waiting out the full, dreaded 90 minutes on street cleaning days. Instead, they would just have to wait until the street sweepers pass through the street, and then they could park back on the prohibited side. Alternate-side parkers would also be able to wait inside their "hard-won curbside fiefs," rather than double-parking, without fear of a ticket—provided that they can get out of the sweeper's way in time for it to pass. Essentially, as long as you don't block a sweeper, you'd be in the clear.
This potential change seems to (and, well, does) reward those who can sit and wait in their cars, rather than those who double park and leave: once the sweepers pass, all those spots on the alternate-side are fair game. But the bill would also implement a GPS tracking system on street sweepers, like the one for snow plows, so parkers can see exactly when they're free to run back and reclaim their space.
Supporters of the bill claim it will reduce pollution from idling cars and give New Yorkers back their time. In 2010 a similar bill was heard but opposed as the Department of Sanitation pointed out that during certain times of the year streets need to be cleaned twice. No word on if that problem has been resolved, or how professional double-parkers will react.
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alternate sides
alternate sides parking
City Council
street cleaning
Alexandra Svokos
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