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DRIVERS have been spared a $65 parking fee as winter weather conditions are expected to worsen.
But while some parking rules are suspended, others – like paying the meter – remain in effect.
A parking fee was suspended for a day due to predicted snow[/caption]
Drivers should still pay the meter to park[/caption]
In New York City, alternate-side parking has been suspended in all five boroughs.
This means drivers don’t have to get up and move their cars — as many might still be parked under mountains of snow from the weekend.
According to the Department of Transportation, these adjustments were made as the city prepares to deal with more snow.
New Yorkers are always on alert for updates about Alternate Side Parking, a traffic rule that regulates where cars can park on certain days to allow for street cleaning.
The city has an official X account dedicated to ASP updates called NYC Alt Side Parking (@NYCASP).
There are daily updates on the account for drivers who want to keep up with changes or emergency suspensions.
ASP signs are designated with a bright red “P” indicating when vehicles can be parked on that block.
Sometimes drivers wait for the street cleaners to pass and then park in the same spot, but this could result in a hefty fine.
Currently, drivers are required to pay a $65 fee if they fail to remove their vehicle for street cleaning.
There are over 2.2 million cars registered in New York City, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
These drivers are vying for one of the city’s three million parking spots.
That competition has forced conversation about upping the penalties for drivers who neglect alternate-side parking rules.
“By failing to move our cars, the streets are getting dirtier. Rats are getting infested in our neighborhoods,” Councilman Lincoln Restler said on NY1 in 2023.
“We need to do more to clean up our streets – we need to look out for our neighborhoods,” he added.
Are you covered by law to park on a public street?
Parking on a public street is generally legal, even in front of someone's house, experts say.
Unless the home is in an HOA subdivision, an apartment complex with assigned spaces, or there are posted laws against parking during certain days or hours, it is not illegal to park a vehicle in front of someone’s home on a public street.
“Generally speaking, an individual citizen does not ‘own’ or have any ongoing exclusive right to use a parking space on a public street,” wrote Nolo Legal.
“These spaces are open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis.”
Most states do have rules against vehicles being parked in the same spot for 72 hours, or blocking fire hydrants, driveways, and sidewalks, as a parked vehicle in those spaces presents a safety hazard.
