New York – After receiving complaints from several constituents, Councilman David G. Greenfield today introduced common sense legislation in the City Council that would allow motorists to temporarily stop at fire hydrants at all times as long as they are ready to immediately move their vehicle in the case of an emergency. Currently, drivers in New York City are allowed to temporarily stand at fire hydrants only during daylight hours, but not during evening hours. Councilman Greenfield’s legislation simply extends the daylight regulation to bring consistency to this law by including evening hours and to provide drivers with a convenient, safe place to drop off or pick up passengers. This is part of Councilman Greenfield’s continuing efforts to revise and update the city’s parking and traffic laws to help improve traffic flow and increase the amount of curbside space available for drivers.

“As our city’s population grows, we must come up with new ways to keep our traffic moving and increase the amount of parking available to drivers. Allowing drivers to temporarily stop at fire hydrants to pick up and drop off passengers will reduce emissions from vehicles circling the block, free up other parking spaces and reduce double parking, which often brings our commercial strips to a standstill. This outdated law is yet another example of a city regulation that no longer serves its intended purpose and can easily be changed to benefit everyone who drives on our streets,” said Councilman Greenfield.

New York City’s population is expected to increase from 8.2 million to 8.75 million by 2020. Two of the biggest challenges the city Department of Transportation faces as a result of this expected growth is improving travel times and maintaining air quality. This legislation will help with both objectives by reducing congestion on streets caused by double parking and by reducing the need for drivers to endlessly circle the block in search of a safe and legal place to pull over, without jeopardizing public safety or interfering with emergency responders.

“One of the biggest sources of frustration for anyone who uses our streets is the congestion created by lack of parking. I was surprised to learn that you can only stand at a hydrant during the day. My constituents were too, so when several came to me with parking tickets that they did not expect to receive for picking up or dropping off passengers at a hydrant at night, I vowed to try and change the law,” added Councilman Greenfield.

This is one of several pieces of legislation Councilman Greenfield has introduced or supported in his ongoing efforts to make life a little easier and fairer for all city drivers. Earlier this year, the City Council passed Greenfield’s legislation ending the city’s use of neon stickers to punish drivers who allegedly violate alternate-side parking laws, and Councilman Greenfield played an instrumental role in passing legislation to give drivers a five-minute grace period when paying for parking at a nearby Muni-Meter. Additionally, Councilman Greenfield supported a law allowing the use of Muni-Meter receipts on different blocks than where the receipt was issued. All of these bills were passed unanimously by the City Council over the objection of Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

Councilman Greenfield’s latest bill has been referred to the City Council’s Transportation Committee for hearings. Greenfield serves as a member of the Transportation Committee.

(YWN Desk – NYC)