Finding parking or parking in New York can be a headache for many, like Dionisio Blanco, a taxi driver with 40 years in the job.
“In Washington Heights it is very difficult for you to find a parking space, anywhere, you look over there, wherever you look the park is zero. If you arrive in the afternoon, that’s great,” said Blanco.
Blanco says that he has had to spend up to two hours looking for a space and he has had no choice but to sleep in his car.
“They have given me tickets sleeping in this car, you park in the car there in the pomp and I stay like that, when I come to see there is a ticket.”
But would New Yorkers like him be willing to pay $30 a month just to get space in their own neighborhood?
“If I’m going to find the park easy it would be great, but if not, it doesn’t make sense,” said Carmen Garcia.
García.
A state senate bill proposes creating parking permits to give drivers in their neighborhoods preference over other cars, but many details are not yet known.
“For me it is an interesting proposal, we have to see how it will work. I think we have to ensure the permits so that there are no abuses,” said councilor Carmen De La Rosa.
According to the city’s Department of Transportation, there are nearly 3 million parking spaces, most of which are free.
“And also make sure that any revenue that comes in from the permits in New York City is used for the improvements that we need locally in the transportation infrastructure,” added the councilwoman.
Other residents believe the measure would not fully work.
Of Lion.
“It’s not going to work, the only thing I see is money for the city and very little money for us because they’re going to fine us for parking on those sides,” said neighbor Sandy De León.
The shortage of on-street parking is mainly due to the large number of vehicles compared to the number of available spaces, and thus the result of double parking, according to some residents.
But to that is added that residents of other states leave their cars here.
“Of course, because like here you don’t have to pay. Without fines, they come in the car, park it here, then take the train and go to work,” said taxi driver Jesús Méndez.
If the measure is implemented, residents would pay $360 a year, raising about $400 million a year to finance public transportation.
