New York, NY – Mayor Bloomberg wants to make life a little easier for New York drivers.
In a plan unveiled exclusively on the Daily News’ Op-Ed page today, he calls for smart parking meters that can tell drivers when a space is empty, take payment from a cell phone instead of a handful of quarters and send an alert when time is about to expire.
The mayor said he will explore eliminating the $2 fee to pay parking tickets by credit card, as well as an amnesty program to get some of the $700 million the city is owed from old tickets.
The Department of Transportation will also continue reducing alternate-side-parking hours in some neighborhoods, from twice-a-week, three-hour chunks to 90 minutes once a week.
And Bloomberg even took a stand for drivers in their endless battle with the ticket-writers.
“While most of our traffic enforcement agents are courteous and professional, we are always working to improve customer service,” Bloomberg wrote.
“We will increase sensitivity training for all traffic enforcement agents.”
That’s a shift for the mayor, who has staunchly defended traffic agents against claims of overzealous ticketing and backed a plan to toll cars entering Manhattan.
A spokeswoman for city Controller William Thompson, who is challenging the mayor in the November election, accused Bloomberg of pandering for votes.
“New Yorkers will see through this latest stunt,” said Thompson spokeswoman Anne Fenton.
(Source: NY Daily News)
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8 Responses
The man is pandering to anyone who drives into or within NYC and has had issues with parking enforcement (which is probably everyone). He will say whatever to get re-elected and I say after the election which he most likely will win, all these new ideas will disappear.
Alternate side parking is completely just a money making thing for the city. IF they actually did clean the streets in that specific time span of the no parking, it would make sense, BUT that VERY rarely, if EVER happens. Its just another way to bleed us of our hard earned money and make life here in NY more expensive and annoying!
This is like the ginger bread boy taking the word of the fox. Which fool can take his word seriously? He’s the one who doubled the prices of all the tickets and then some.
Maybe I’ll believe the part about removing the “convenience fee”, since his real motive is just to get the tickets paid up, to “generate revenue for the city.”
This is another trick at election time. Just wait until he gets electet chas veshulem we will pay for this big (very big) time.
What a manipulator u will not get my vote .
Too late Mr Mayor. You had 8 years to show us your concern for the city drivers all you displayed was your utter contempt. Although I like your proposals you will not get my vote because I don’t trust you. By the way how about some sensitivity training for the building inspectors who under your leadership are handicapping the construction industry with stop work orders & expensive violations for stupidity under the false guise of “safety”. Ha!! Its all about money money money. Sorry no vote for you.
You have to be Naive to trust this man he will never understand our league
Really, now why don’t they teach some of the ticket writers manners and common decency. My friend told me he got a ticket for double parking while waiting to pull into a parking spot. The other car was pulling out and he was trying to park and the the officer stood right in front of him and told him he could try to prove and fight the ticket. I think all tickets violations that are written, should be either photographed or taped. Otherwise, it’s the ticket issuer word against yours. Good luck to try to fight a ticket. Absoultely disgusting behavior. I say jam the 311 call center with complaints about this. These tickets are certainly not being written for safety reasons, rather to make extra money for the city. Actually, cities around the country are realizing this is a great money maker for them.