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NYC Muni-Meters: Are They Robbing Us?
May 12, 2013

NYC muni-meter-imageCity Council speaker and a Democratic candidate for NYC mayor, Christine Quinn, announced plans last week to propose changes to NYC parking’s Muni-Meter system. Typically, one Muni-Meter is located for each NYC block and drivers must pay for time at the meter and place a printed receipt on their car’s dashboard.

Flaws with Muni-Meters

  • Sometimes they just don’t work
  • They can run out of ink or paper
  • If you have a broken NYC Muni-Meter, you must find another meter (sometimes on another block)
  • Muni-Meters will still take your money when NYC parking regulations aren’t in effect, ie. Sunday

Good things about Muni-Meters

  • Research shows that you can fit more cars on the street when parking spaces are not marked, because drivers will park closer to vehicles already parked.

Quinn’s Proposal includes: Read more…

Filed under: NYC Parking,NYC Parking Card/Muni Meters,NYC Street Parking,Parking Tickets — Tags: , , , , — mtohn @ 2:44 pm
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NYC Bicycle Racks Take up Parking Spaces
May 9, 2013

In 2012, NYC started installing Bicycle Lanes — street lanes dedicated to bicyclists. A Protected Bicycle Lane is located between the curb and a lane of parked cars. A Regular Bicycle Lane is located between a curbside lane of parked vehicles and a lane of traffic.

Image,_NYC_Bicycle_Corral

Source: Streetfilms

Whilst NYC is encouraging bicycle riding, we’re seeing more bicycles chained to poles and trees. Many sidewalk bicycle stands are overcrowded, frequently making it difficult for pedestrians to walk on the curb. And with Citi Bike’s NYC bicycle sharing program set to unload 6,000 bikes starting May 27, 2013, we’re going to need places to put all these bicycles.

NYC DOT is testing out a new Bike Parking Corral. These corrals are located adjacent to a Protected Bike Lane, right where a car would usually be parked. The first Corral is being piloted on 9th Ave and a single car space has room for 16 bicycles.

We like this idea:

  1. we’re not wasting any street space on cars that don’t park efficiently,
  2. NYC bicycle riders are protected, and
  3. this gets the bicycles off the sidewalk.
Filed under: Bicycles — Tags: , — mtohn @ 6:13 pm
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NYC Citi Bike Racks

NYC Citi_Bike,_bicycle_in_a_rackNYC Citi Bike’s bicycle sharing program is set to provide 6,000 bikes & 330 bike rack stations in Manhattan & Brooklyn beginning May 27, 2013.

One of the biggest questions is, ‘Where is NYC going to put all those bicycles?’

Might not be an issue for NYC, which expects to generate $36 million in activity and 170 new jobs for the city, not to mention some serious advertising for Citibank, which paid $41 million for the contract, and payment partner MasterCard, who pledged $6.5 million.

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — mtohn @ 6:03 pm
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NYC Citi Bike Program Launches 5/27/13

NYC Citibike_bicycleAfter a number of stops and starts, NYC’s bicycle sharing program, called Citi Bike, is set to launch on May 27, 2013.

Sign up by May 17, 2013 – you can have the privilege of being part of Citi Bike’s first week

Sign up after June 2, 2013 — you can take a Citi Bike for a spin anytime.

Some Key Facts

  • 8,000 members have already signed up
  • 6,000 bikes & 330 bike rack stations in Manhattan & Brooklyn to start
  • 10,000 bikes at the height of the program

How It Works

1. Purchase access for a period of 24 hours, 7 days or annually (Annual membership is purchased online).

  • Annual Membership: $95, 45 min rides*
  • 7-Day Membership: $25, 30 min rides*
  • 24-Hour Membership: $9.95, 30 min rides* Read more…
Filed under: Bicycles — Tags: , — mtohn @ 5:46 pm
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Pre-Pay NYC Muni-Meters

NYC Muni-Meter_Pay_At_signMany NYC street parking meters, called Muni-Meters, go into effect for NYC parking at 9am. For people who might park at a NYC street parking meter at 8:30am for work, though, this means they have to go back to the meter at 9am and pay for their parking.

In mid-April 2013, NYC City Councilman David Greenfield (D-Brooklyn) introduced a bill that would require the NYC Muni-Meters to start accepting payment half an hour before meter requirements take effect.

On a positive note, many people will avoid the dreaded NYC parking ticket.

On the other hand, it could mean that people will park overnight — for free, and pre-pay the Muni-Meter to start at 9am.

Filed under: NYC Street Parking,Parking & Traffic Tickets,Parking Tickets — Tags: , , , , — mtohn @ 5:31 pm
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Pay By Phone NYC Parking

Streetline_DOT_map_of_parking_spacesIf you’re tired of driving around looking for a NYC parking space, and then hoarding  quarters to pay for NYC parking, NYC is working on a better way. NYC is testing out a new program on Arthur Avenue in the Belmont area of the Bronx, also known as Little Italy (of the Bronx). You can use your phone, internet or smartphone app to pay for 264 metered NYC parking spaces along or adjacent to Arthur Avenue  plus 57 spaces in NYC’s Belmont Municipal Parking Field. Each Muni-Meter in the pilot program has a QR code and a seven-digit number that is your link to making payments. How It Works

  1. Sign up for PayByPhone with your vehicle registration and credit card number
  2. Find a space by using NYC DOT’s real-time map of available NYC parking spaces (map shown above). The map shows where there are available spaces and where there is low or limited availability.
  3. After you park, type in the  number displayed on the side of the closest muni-meter to start paying for parking.
  4. When your meter is about to expire, you’ll get a text or email. You will be able to add more money to extend your time, but only to the time allowed by the parking regulation.

Things we Like about NYC Pay By Phone Parking

  1. You don’t have to walk to walk to the meter itself or deal with slips of paper. Read more…
Filed under: NYC Street Parking,Parking Apps,Parking News,Parking Tickets — Tags: , , , — mtohn @ 4:57 pm
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Pay for NYC Garage Parking with Pango
May 6, 2013

Image,_Pango_screen_shotPango and Imperial Parking have partnered to offer NYC parking from your smart phone. Once you register your name, credit card, and license plate nunber, you use the app to find one of Imperial’s 110 NYC parking garages, and reserve a space. The app will know when you park and lets you alert the garage when you’re ready to leave so your car will be waiting for you. The greatest joy to us that the Pango app calculates and processes your payment, so you don’t have to wait at the cashier booth to pay for your parking.

Right now, Pango is being piloted in just one Imperial NYC parking garage. We hope the service expands to all of Imperial‘s NYC Parking garages.

We understand that Pango hopes to work with NYC Department of Transportationg (DOT) to allow this pay-by-phone service to be available for NYC street parking.

Filed under: NYC Street Parking,Parking & Traffic Tickets,Parking Apps,Parking News,Parking Tickets — Tags: , , , , , — mtohn @ 9:49 am
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NYC Parking Disabled Permit Info

We often get asked about Disabled Parking Permits, or Handicapped Parking Permits, for NYC parking. Here’s a quick overview of both the NYC and NYS permits with information about where you can use these permits, how to apply for the permit, and other valuable information.

NYC Parking Permit for People with Disabilities (PPPD)

  • Display: A rectangular placard which can be placed on the dashboard. You can have several license plates associated with the Permit.
  • Allows parking at most NYC curbside street parking, including:
  1. All NYC “No Parking*” zones on the street except No Parking zones for taxi stands,
  2. All No Standing spaces authorized for doctors, press, diplomats and government agencies,
  3. All metered NYC street parking spaces without paying, and
  4. All ‘No Standing, Trucks Loading & Unloading’ zones except for specified restricted hours.
  • DOES NOT ALLOW parking at:
  1. Any “No Stopping” zones,
  2. Any ‘No Standing’ zones other than listed above, Read more…
Filed under: NYC Parking,Parking & Driving Advice — Tags: , , , — mtohn @ 9:32 am
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NYC Gets Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
April 29, 2013
Image,_Electric_Vehicle_Charging,_NYT

Hiroko Matsuike/The New York Times

As part of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s legacy, he wants to add 10,000 public parking spots for electric vehicles (EVs) over the next seven years, with 2,000 of these NYC parking spaces having electric vehicle charging stations.

Right now, NYC has 100 public electric vehicle charging stations (mostly in off-street NYC parking garages) plus another 120 charging stations for NYC’s fleet of 458 electric vehicles. Bloomberg’s proposal would add another 30 charging stations for NYC vehicles, bringing the total to 150 to be used by NYC-owned electric vehicles.

In his February 2013 address, Bloomberg said, “This year we’ll pilot curbside vehicle chargers that will allow drivers to fill up their battery in as little as 30 minutes. We’ll work with Read more…

Filed under: NYC Parking,Parking & Driving Advice,Parking News — Tags: , , , , — mtohn @ 5:06 pm
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NYC Parking Meter Rate Increase
April 18, 2013

NYC parking meterOn January 25th, 2013, NYC parking meter rates increased. We’d previously written about this (potential) increase in November 2012.

If you deal with NYC parking, here’s the critical information:

  • Above 110th St in Manhattan: No change from $1/hour
  • 110th St – 96th St in Manhattan: Increase from $1 to $1.50/hour
  • South of 96th St in Manhattan: Increase from $3 to $3.50/hour
  • Lower Manhattan: New muni-metered spaces will be installed in 428 currently free or no parking zones.
  • City Parking Lots & Garages: Hourly and long term parking rates to increase

If you do overstay your parking meter and get an Overtime Meter Ticket, you’l be fined $35 – $65. That’s probably worth paying an extra $.50/hour.

The rate increases for NYC parking meters are expected to bring in another $5.1 million annually, whilst the NYC Muni-Meters for 428 spaces could bring in $6.7 million annually.

Filed under: NYC Parking,NYC Street Parking,Parking & Traffic Tickets,Parking News,Parking Tickets — Tags: , , — mtohn @ 5:22 pm
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