Brooklyn – New York City Council candidate and education advocate, David G. Greenfield fired off a letter to NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly, blasting the City for ticketing drivers in Boro Park for not feeding parking meters after Shabbos starts on Friday afternoon. Greenfield proposed a simple solution and requested that until his proposed solution takes effect that the NYPD stop ticketing from the start of Shabbos on Friday afternoon.
Parking meters throughout Boro Park are in effect until 7pm on Friday, even though in the winter months, Shabbos goes into effect as early as 4pm. Once the 25 hour Shabbos goes into effect, observant drivers are prohibited by Jewish Law from feeding the meter. Even if they feed the meter at 5pm (the approximate current start of Shabbos), they are only allowed to pay for one hour, resulting in parking tickets that they are unable to prevent. Greenfield is not suggesting that observant drivers be excused from paying to park, but is proposing a solution that would allow them to park in hundreds of parking spots throughout the neighborhood. One solution that Greenfield proposed would be the installation of muni-meters along these avenues with a Shabbos setting that would allow all drivers to pay for parking through 7pm (up to three hours in advance) on Friday only.
“It doesn’t make sense that the City would take away hundreds of parking spots every Friday just because a group of law-abiding citizens are unable to feed a meter,” said Greenfield, a resident of Boro Park who experiences this challenge every Friday. “A perfectly viable solution would be to allow the neighborhood to pay for parking through Shabbos before it takes effect. Until that happens, I have asked the NYPD to no longer ticket on these avenues after 6pm on Friday.”
Letter to NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner:
Hon. Janette Sadik-Kahn
Commissioner
NYC Department of Transportation
55 Water Street
New York, NY 10041
Dear Commissioner Sadik-Kahn,
I am writing to ask you to address a significant parking issue in the Boro Park neighborhood. This issue impacts me, as a driving resident of Boro Park, as much as any other resident. An existing lack of parking within the community often forces drivers to park overnight along metered avenues, including 13th , 16th , and 18th Avenues. Throughout the week this is not a problem and is a welcome relief to the lack of parking. For example, when I get home from work late at night, I simply park my car on 18th Avenue and I leave early enough to avoid having to “feed the meter.” Unfortunately, Friday evenings pose a particular challenge to observant Jewish drivers.
During the winter months, Shabbos begins as early as 4pm on Friday afternoon. Presently, Shabbos begins at about 5pm, but meters along avenues in Boro Park require payment until 7pm on Friday but not on Saturday. Once the 25 hour Shabbos begins, observant drivers are prohibited by Jewish law from feeding the meter, resulting in parking tickets that these drivers are unable to prevent. Even if a driver feeds a meter for one hour beginning at 5pm, a driver can still receive a ticket between 6pm and 7pm.
I am not proposing that these drivers be excused from paying to park, but I hope a compromise that allows the residents to continue to peacefully practice their faith can be reached. One solution could be the installation of muni-meters along these avenues with a Shabbos setting that would allow all drivers to pay for parking through 7pm on Friday only. I am certain that in today’s day and age with the existing muni-meter technology we can make this work. This would ensure that drivers are able to abide by parking regulations without being penalized for their religious observance.
I hope you will seriously consider the needs of this community, and work with us toward a quick and effective solution to a unique problem. In the meanwhile, as a courtesy to the community, I respectfully request that the NYPD no longer ticket on these avenues after 6pm on Friday.
I very much look forward to your response.
With Gratitude,
David G. Greenfield, Esq.
Candidate, New York City Council
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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12 Responses
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An obvious problem with the Greenfield solution is that most of the meters in question are 1 hour meters meaning that you are only allowed to occupy that parking space for 1 hour while the meter is in effect usually to 7pm. Although common practice, meter feeding is illegal. DOT is not going to make these 3 or 4 hour metered parking spaces, or sanction meter feeding.
There are just too many cars in Boro Park and the number of parking spaces deccreases with new construction.
now if greenfield can solve that pesky triple parking on 13th ave problem caused by the “law-abiding citizens” of BP, then he might really be on to something.
This seems like a fantastic opportunity for a shabbes goy.
He/she could be employed to feed the meters during the period ‘bain hazemanim’, i.e. between the beginning of Shabbos and 7:00 p.m.
I really am surprised that no Boro Park resident has thought of this before. It would be a real win-win solution for both parties.
The current situation is rascist. In effect only goyim are able to have access to the parking spaces over shabbos in a predominately jewish neighborhood. Nothing more rascist than that. But greenfield. There are thousands of frum jews sweltering in the summer 95 degrees that can’t go to the beach. With thousands of miles of coastline one block could be reserved for modest swimming. Start working for jews. Any jewish politician ignoring this most basic need is not working at all.
#5 There’s separate swimming in Seagate. Yes, you either have to live there or know someone who lives there in order to get in. But it’s still a way to go to the beach.
Have you been to the Seagate beach? I remember one that was all rocks.
Washington
You want a seperate beach go to Israel. We have more important issues. You can enjoy your summer without going to the beach!
Greenfield Blasts City: YWN get the facts straight PLEASE! It was both greenfield and Lazar who wrote letters, why are you writting news that is FALSE? this seriously has to stop!
Am i the only one noticing the site has become a biased political site?
As it says “money can make the straight crooks”.
Moderators Note: Kindly have the Lazar Campaign send us a press release, we will verify it, and gladly post it.
Thanks for the false accusations, Mr B.
Maybe this is a naive question, since (B”H) I don’t live in Brooklyn, but why are Shomer Shabbos parking at meters on Friday afternoon anyway? Especially one hour meters where they can’t prepay through 7 PM? It just doesn’t make sense to me. Yes, I know BP is a congested place, but we can’t constantly expect the law to bend in our favor. There isn’t a way that DOT will change those meters to 2 hours (or longer), because they want to encourage people to move on after an hour on commecial strips, such as 13th Ave.
@A woman outside bklyn:
It is a naive question for the following reason. There are more cars then parking spots in bp. People are not trying “bend the law”, they’re just trying to find a spot near their house where they dont have to walk for 10 blocks. Also, as you say the meters are there for commercial strips such as 13 avenue. Well, most – all of the stores on 13th, 16th, and 18th avenues are Jewish stores and closed during this time anyway!
However, I’m not a big fan of the muni meter. To me it seems thats just a way for the city to make money. For instance when you run in for 10 minutes you have to buy 20 minutes worth of time (same as with regular meters) but now after you pull out someone else cant use the next 10 minutes!
Brooklyn, NY – In a poignant display of the deep support Joe Lazar has throughout the 44th Council District, the Lazar campaign announced today that it has submitted more than 5 times the 765 signatures required by the Board of Elections to get on the ballot for the March 23rd, 2010 Special Election for City Council. Lazar’s impressive total gives the candidate over 1000 more signatures than his nearest competitor.
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“This campaign is all about unity and I believe that the fact that well over 4000 residents of Borough Park, Kensington, Bensonhurst, and Midwood got together to put us on the ballot is a powerful demonstration of the energy we’re going to bring to City Hall,” said Joe Lazar.
Lazar offered warm thanks to his 150 petitioners for their valiant efforts through freezing temperatures, high winds and snow. “I am so grateful to our team of volunteers for enduring weather conditions that kept even seasoned postal workers home,” joked Lazar. “You’re tremendous!”
The residents that signed Lazar’s petitions came from all four corners of the 44th CD and represent the district-wide coalition that Lazar has been working tirelessly to build.