E 55th St between 1st Ave & Sutton Pl
Good News! We’re one step closer to figuring out those pesky, and parking ticket-inducing, signs with a new NYC website.
The website shows you every single NYC parking sign for each block, and where the sign is located on the block. The image to the right shows E 55th St between 1st Ave and Sutton Place.
This is a great idea, and long overdue. Unfortunately, there are a number of flaws with the site:
- You can see the signs ONLY for only one block at a time. We tried to see adjacent streets, but the signs disappeared when we zoomed out just one level. We had to check the ‘Parking Signs’ box again, and then the map zoomed in to a one-block screen. But you can move the map around,
- The site gives you exactly what is printed on the sign, but it doesn’t explain the confusing parking regulations. So you’re just as lost if you don’t know what No Standing, No Stopping, and No Parking mean,
- Many NYC parking signs have one-way or two-way arrows indicating where the parking regulation applies, and this is critical information to avoid a NYC parking ticket. The NYC website tells you ‘Single Arrow’, (see photo below), but it doesn’t tell you which way the arrow is pointing. We went to that street and the sign actually looks like the next photo below,
NYC Parking Map Indicating One-Way Arrow
Actual Sign Showing One-Way Arrow goes East
- When you’re zoomed in to the screen with the single street, the street isn’t labeled, so you don’t know which street it is until you move the map to the nearest avenue, and
- This is a website only. It’s great for people who plan ahead, but not very helpful at all if you’re in the car looking for legal street parking.
This site could be great with a few improvements:
- Make it a mobile app as well, so people can check for legal parking when they’re looking for parking,
- Show the directions of the arrows,
- Explain the parking regulations,
- Show signs for multiple blocks and allow the user to zoom in without having to start the search over.
If you’re someone who parks on the street, here are some Hints for Avoiding NYC Parking Tickets:
- Understand what No Stopping, No Standing, and No Parking mean,
- Pay the parking meter and don’t overstay the time (you can stay at a NYC parking meter ONLY for the allowed time, so you can’t park at a 2 hour meter and then pay for another 2 hours), and
- Don’t park at a NYC fire hydrant, or you’ll get a Fire Hydrant Ticket.
