Councilman David G. Greenfield has introduced City Council legislation that would provide a simple solution to one of the biggest complaints drivers have with the city’s Muni-Meters – the inability to feed the meter ahead of time. Currently, Muni-Meters are programed to only accept payment once the parking regulation for that block has gone into effect – 9 a.m. in many areas – meaning it is impossible to pay ahead of time. This is a major inconvenience for individuals who are trying to get to an appointment, running errands or going to work before the parking restriction begins. Under the existing system, drivers must sit in their car and wait until the meter will accept their money, return to their car in the middle of their errands or risk receiving a ticket. This represents a huge waste of time and hassle for New Yorkers.

Councilman Greenfield’s legislation, introduced at last week’s Stated Council meeting, would require the city Department of Transportation to reprogram the Muni-Meters to allow drivers to pay for parking up to thirty minutes before the parking restrictions on that block begin.

“These Muni-Meters are here to stay, so it is imperative that we refine the system to make it work better for New York City drivers. The current restriction against paying in advance poses a major inconvenience for residents as they go about their daily business, and it is only fair to allow drivers to pay in advance. This law will help prevent New Yorkers from receiving unfair tickets or being forced to sit in their car and wait for the parking restrictions to begin. This common-sense legislation will go a long way towards improving the Muni-Meter system for everyone,” said Councilman Greenfield.

This marks Councilman Greenfield’s latest effort to improve the Muni-Meter system to make it more convenient and fairer for all New York City drivers. Previously, he led the effort to provide drivers with a five-minute grace period while paying for parking to avoid being unfairly ticketed and to allow Muni-Meter receipts with additional time left over to be used on any block with the same parking rate. He is now working with the Department of Transportation to resolve other issues and complaints he has heard from constituents about Muni-Meters, including problems with broken machines and machines that accept payment but don’t issue a receipt.

(YWN Desk – NYC)