Parking Placards

Certain government vehicles will be exempt from paying the congestion pricing toll, but which ones? And how? Let the Explainer explain it all to you.

Today's bout is a battle between Bronx champions, the 41st Precinct, and the Manhattan champs at the 24th Precinct. One precinct really brought its "A" game. The other did not.

Gov. Cuomo's focus on fare beating is finally going to start applying to drivers.

The City Council today passed a home rule message backing Albany legislation that would allow the city to implement a residential parking permit program. The vote was 40-8. Charles Barron, Lew Fidler, Peter Vallone, and Al Vann joined four out of the five Republicans on the council in voting against the measure. (Eric Ulrich was the GOP vote in favor.)

In response to some high-profile abuses of state-issued parking placards and a report by the state's Inspector General, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday that he will be reforming the way placards are issued and releasing ten percent fewer total placards. The new state placard regime will be only modestly more strict than before, but creates a framework for regulating what have become coveted perks and magnets for petty corruption.

Via Gothamist, here's a story that nicely encapsulates why parking placards should be completely abolished. On Monday, a Boogiedowner reader caught Bronx Assembly member Vanessa Gibson parking in the bike lane on the Grand Concourse, NYPD-issued placard on the dash for all to see. When the Bronx News Network asked Gibson to explain herself, she offered this apology: