Nosy Neighbor: Why are DOB cars allowed to park in Loading Zones?

Several neighbors on Murray Street have complained to me about city vehicles parked on the block between Broadway and Church, some for days at a time. It’s similar to the placard situation, only these are for sure legit department cars: they all have official plates. From B:

“Here’s a great example of the ongoing parking abuse by NYCHA and DOB cars — literally six cars parked overnight in spaces that are ‘Loading Only’ between 7am-7pm and open up for residents and visitors after 7 and weekends. These cars were still here after 9am this morning and you can see the practical implications for local businesses and others that rely on those spaces for commerce, moving etc. This morning a moving truck had to double park, leaving little room for cars to pass through, and we’ve been treated to a symphony of horns all morning now. Likely at least several of these cars will be left through the entire holiday weekend depriving local residents scarce spaces to park or load/unload. It’s getting out of hand.”

The DOB spokesperson said these are the department’s fleet vehicles and are for use by “inspectors and agency staff who are regularly required to respond to emergency incidents and high priority inspections in all neighborhoods across the City.”

As official city vehicles, they can be parked in Truck Loading Zones while in the performance of agency business.

He continued: “Last year, DOB reduced the number of vehicles in our fleet that were taken by inspectors to their homes at the end of their shift, as per an Executive Order signed by the previous Mayor. As a result more vehicles are parked overnight and on weekends near our five borough offices, where inspectors officially start their work day.”

The executive order was designed to reduce the environmental impact of the city’s fleet and reduced it by 1000 cars out of 26,690. They reduced the number of take-home vehicles by 500, which doesn’t sound like a whole lot??

Seems to me they should just get a lot…

 

7 Comments

  1. The cars from the Army outpost on Chambers Street also use Greenwich Street as their personal parking spot so the street can’t get cleaned. They sit for weeks.

  2. Maybe they can work on getting all the buildings with violations that have scaffolding and sheds down while they’re at it. I know, a separate subject. But every time I see one of their cars parked in Tribeca i just think of the City emblem, the building shed

  3. Same issue on Warren street between church and Broadway. These cars sometimes take up the entire south side of the block. There is one car that has been here for 4 months and there is trash all around it. We can never get the street cleaned. I’ve called 311 about this seemingly abandoned city vehicle multiple times to no avail.

  4. Same issue on Barclay Street…. between these cars and the ABUSIVE police placard parking, it is simply impossible to have delivery or even car services stop to unload. And reporting both to 311 on the app is just an absolute waste of time..

    We need to put pressure on City Council, enough is enough! our streets are NOT free parking for city cars, police personal cars, and all the friends and family of them with placards (some real, many fake ones). And this behavior predates Covid… they have absolutely NO respect for street signs or the law.

  5. parking in tribeca is out of hand..there is not one alternate side spot east of hudson anywhere…and very few off hduson…the city and thier corrupt agencies took every spot away just about….or youhave to get out by 7 or 8am and if thats not the case they make you get out with street cleaning regs which i have never seen a strewat cleaner in years while waiting for a meter spot…
    bring back some spots as we dont pay enough for rent down here so the city forces us to park in overpriced garages which i am sure the city get kickbacks from….

  6. I only park in Tribeca about 3x a month. I secured a garage space for 300 a mos during the pandemic at w 50th street and keep my car there. I cant imagine wanting to or having to park anywhere in the city w/o an assigned reserved spot

    That said what i dont get is I see Land Rovers , Mercedes, Jaguars, BMWs and more parked on the street. I have a car cause I gotta help senior parents who are off the public transit lines. Otherwise Id never want a car in the City. If someone can afford those lux cars, cant they manage a spot somewhere in a garage?

  7. Prior to 9/11 there was a large multi-floor municipal parking garage next to Police Headquarters. Post 9/11 it was closed to public parkers and never reopened. I can’t help but think police and other city vehicles should be kept there, thereby freeing a few parking spaces for residents of lower Manhattan.

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