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6100 Parking Spots Eliminated in 2 Years Due to NYC War on Cars

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By: Kara Mulligan

A Department of Transportation analysis done for The New York Post shows that New York City has lost more than six-thousand parking spaces in the last year.

The analysis showed:

– 2,000 to 2,800 spots are gone for good.

– 1,000 to 1,500 were removed for part of the day, for instance during rush hours.

– About 4,000 spaces have been turned into delivery zones for trucks or commercial parking.

“The loss is staggering when you consider that the 6,100 spaces were taken in just two years (January 2018 through the end of this year), when it took 10 years for 2,300 spaces to vanish in Manhattan south of 125th Street between 2007 and 2017, according to DOT figures reported by NY1,” the Post’s Melissa Klein reported.

“In place of parking are bike lanes and their buffer zones, Citi Bike docking stations, spots for ride-share vehicles and, during warmer months, makeshift al fresco dining areas called “Street Seats,” the Post piece continued. “Hundreds of spots are gone for bike lanes in the East and West Villages, midtown and the Upper West Side.”

“Part of the war on cars, is definitely a war on parking,” Sheila Dunn, spokeswoman for the National Motorists Association, told the Post. “It’s really terrible because people use their cars for their businesses. It’s not like they’re just gallivanting around town.”

(For more information, check out https://nypost.com/2019/11/09/nycs-war-on-cars-has-eliminated-6100-parking-spots-in-two-years/)

Getting around was the thrust recently when the New York City Council voted to pass historic streets master plan legislation. The legislation will require the Department of Transportation to issue and implement a transportation master plan every five years. Benchmarks will be developed for each five-year plan. The plan’s goals would be to prioritize the safety of all street users, the use of mass transit, the reduction of vehicle emissions, and access for individuals with disabilities.

Making public transit more palatable is key to solving the parking dilemma. “The piecemeal way we plan our streets has made no sense for far too long, and New Yorkers have paid the price every day stuck on slow buses or as pedestrians or cyclists on dangerous streets. We need faster buses, safe streets infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, and more pedestrian space. We need to do everything we can to encourage sustainable modes of transportation, especially with the realities of climate change growing more dire every day. This plan will get us there, and by doing so it will make New York City a much more livable and enjoyable place to call home,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson in a statement.

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