Left rectangle ads redesigned
History of Tribeca Buildings
In the News: Hunting down parking placard abuses
Streetsblog created this amazing map of the placard abuses and no surprise, they are mostly in the neighborhood. Over the years, the TC has covered this issue plenty but frankly after a while it just made me tired — one of those things that the city will never fix despite a symbol of clear corruption. But then I tried to drive down Broadway alongside a city bus the other day, and between the illegal parking and the fact that the feds have not finished the work at 26 Federal Plaza, the bus and I were shunted into the same measly lane — and NOT the bus lane!
In the map, Streetsblog recorded the 727 (!) cars parked between Canal and Chambers, Lafayette and West Broadway/Varick showing a placard or other “quasi-official emblem (mostly fake placards or agency vests, hats, safety helmets, fake badges, patches, business cards or hand-written notes).” That is 65 percent of the legal parking spaces. You can click on each symbol to see the placard.
I should let you read the conclusions on their site, but a quick summary since they are remarkable — or maybe just remarkably frustrating, especially given the efforts ALL of us had to make to get congestion pricing into the neighborhood:
- The placards are broken down into agency by percentage (federal law enforcement had 25 percent)
- 9 percent had out-of-state plates
- Some had covered or defaced plates
- The plates that could be run revealed thousands of moving violation tickets — as much as four per car
Cars with placards blocking turn lane
I don’t need to tell anyone reading here that these placards contribute significantly to the congestion in the neighborhood; damage small businesses by blocking delivery spots AND preventing legal drivers from accessing meters; and create hazards for pedestrians by virtue of their illegal parking.
Streetsblog also FOILed the NYPD to get them to release a list of the 35,000 parking placards it permits, but the department declined, arguing that “the names of recipients of the parking perk are far too sensitive to reveal.” It’s baffling, but somehow the NYPD made the case that they couldn’t locate the records, but also that the records “could endanger the life and safety of any person.”
Caution: reading either of these stories might make you mad for days.
19 Comments
Comment:
Medium rectangle #1 (top)
Right column rectangle ads
Mega rectangle
Restaurant guide icon
Meantime, I just got a speeding ticket by a camera going 31 on Chambers Street on a surprisingly clear road, but the e-bikes and Citibikes can speed all around on sidewalks and the wrong way on one way streets. Cars and vans can double park with impunity. I pay a toll to drive in my neighborhood and pay a fortune to park here because these nameless city workers get free spaces to make their commutes more convenient. So yeah, this makes me mad. But I already was.
Don’t the speed cameras only kick in at 11mph over? So wouldn’t that mean at least 36mph?
Apparently the speed limit is now 20. No one would ever know that since the street is usually backed up with traffic.
Ah yes, the city was given permission to lower limits, I just didn’t know that Chambers had gotten the treatment yet.
I agree with you re: the enforcement of laws. It is actually one of my biggest gripes: all of us have to follow the law, but the ones who enforce them don’t? It breaks the social contract. And people keep telling me I have to respect the police when they don’t show the same courtesy to their constituents.
https://tribecacitizen.com/2026/06/17/icymi-the-speed-limit-is-now-20-mph/
I don’t know what the legal speed on Chambers is,
But the cameras do not trigger unless one is going 11 miles above the posted speed limit. Thus, if the speed limit on Chambers is 20, unfortunately, your 31 is a legitimate infraction of the law.
Sorry, your lone justifiable outrage IMO is that cops, firemen, court officers and other apparatchiks get free parking spaces. We all feel your pain over that.
But the rest? Chambers Street is within the Lower Manhattan Regional Slow Zone established under NY State’s Sammy’s Law, for which hundreds of grieving moms, dads and sibs fought for years (under the banner of Families for Safe Streets, a project of Transportation Alternatives). The limit within the zone is indeed 20 mph. Your 31 mph, which just “qualified” you for your speeding ticket (due to the 11 mph “float”), is flat-out too fast for downtown. Hopefully, it’ll be your last ticket. (It was for me, btw.)
You don’t actually pay a toll to drive in your ‘hood. You pay to drive *into* it. Yes, that’s somewhat arbitary — binary pricing is, by nature — but the toll has shrunk traffic — hooray! — and is paying for long-needed transit upgrades like subway station elevators and faster trains (via smarter track signals).
Note that even w/o loathsome placard abuse, you would soon have a tough time finding free parking, as some of your neighbors would also eye the free spaces and opt to buy a car. Not to mention that people like me would agitate to convert some of those spaces to public plazas and outdoor dining.
It’s axiomatic, or should be, that free and easy on-street parking isn’t compatible with lower Manhattan’s hyper-urbanism. Lean into it.
Re the e-bikes and Citibikes. I wrote about that last month for Vital City: https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/making-micromobility-work-nyc/. I’d be interested to have your thoughts.
If free and easy on-street parking isn’t compatible with lower Manhattan, then why is it available to city workers? The point I was trying to make is that enforcement of traffic laws should be universal. Having read your article, I am very surprised at your statistic that e-bikes are more observant of red lights. Not around my neighborhood as I walk my dog around the neighborhood! And you say nothing about the bikes and scooters driving the wrong way on one way streets or darting up sidewalks that are for pedestrians.
I shouldn’t have sped. I get it. I probably will not get a ticket again because the traffic won’t allow it, I don’t drive often, and I am now aware. But enforcement of laws should be consistent.
For what it’s worth, I also support congestion pricing.
Eliz, I tried to make clear my disgust and disdain for placard abuse. I validated your outrage at the top and later called placard abuse loathsome.
How can we end placard abuse? Start by understanding that no mayor will move on placard abuse until there’s a huge groundswell. Even a popular mayor like Mamdani has only so much political capital. I have no magic bullet. Stay vocal. Bring it up w/ all your (and my) electeds. Perhaps join Trans Alt and pester their leadership to prioritize it.*
Thank you for reading my article! My “north of 50%” for deliverista red-light compliance is more of an educated guess than a stat, though I did informally poll some folks I know. These days when I’m stopped at a red light on my bike I have way more deliverista company than I used to.
What do you think of my idea to surcharge longer-distance food delivery trips? I ask not only b/c I think it would help cut deliverista traffic but also b/c it’s my way of channeling my upset over unsafe motorized bike riding. Tbh, I don’t see much sidewalk riding — probably b/c I’m mostly in the street on a bike — but when I do I call out the rider and I don’t get out of the way.
That said, I direct most of my traffic-safety advocacy to driving and drivers, which IMO remains far and away the bigger threat. Since you asked: I don’t want traffic laws to be enforced on cyclists as much as on drivers, due to the difference in threat level. Btw, cops on bikes could re-set norms as well as aid enforcement.
I’m really glad you support congestion pricing. I also really appreciate your way of engaging with me. Thank you!
* = I admit that my suggestion that joining TA to fight placard abuse is probably a non-starter, on account of their uncritical support of “micromobility.” Then again, I can say firsthand that TA’s leadership strives to be responsive to members …
Komanoff: “Driving and drivers are by far and away the bigger threat” when compared to bikes and e-bikes? I’m aware that you are a big bike proponent but your extremism on this topic taints your credibility. I’ve lived in Manhattan for decades, and didn’t worry about getting hit by a vehicle when crossing the street with the WALK sign until recently. For the last few years, crossing a street has become a terrifying journey. Almost every time I venture out these days, I encounter bikes and e-bikes going the wrong way on one-way streets, going through red lights, riding on the sidewalk and more. Just yesterday I screamed in terror as an e-bike was barreling down on me as I was legally crossing a street in the crosswalk. I have no beef with making the city more bike-friendly, but I firmly believe this should not mean that the city must become unfriendly, and downright dangerous, for pedestrians.
SW —
I have written extensively about “micromobility” harms. I have called for reforms that could help “powered” bikes and scooters etc. to better coexist with the rest of us, in the journal Vital City this year [https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/making-micromobility-work-nyc/] and last [https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/safe-only-at-certain-speeds/].
I strive to advocate for everyone getting around NYC without a car. Despite many changes — slow neighborhood zones; speed cameras; soon, automated speed limiters on super-speeders’ cars; and of course congestion pricing, which is bringing not only fewer cars but investments in subway station elevators and modernized track signals helping trains stay on time.
I feel your pain about too unpredictable motorized devices. But our #1 transportation and traffic imperative is to reduce the imprint of cars in our city. For evidence of this — both quantitative and personal — please download (pdf’s) and read my histories of NYC bicycling advocacy [https://www.komanoff.net/bicycle/Bicycle_Uprising.pdf] and anti-traffic-violence organizing [https://www.komanoff.net/cars_I/RoW_History_columns.pdf].
Thanks for writing.
This Streetsblog post is over 4 years old, with no clear update since then. I see the Tribeca Trib also posted it last month, and now it’s here too – why is it being shared again now? Is there evidence the problem persists to this degree post-congestion charge?
WOW you are bitter about breaking the law, commenting nonstop on this post because you got a speeding ticket. Don’t drive over the speed limit and you won’t get a ticket, easy as that. Don’t own a car in the most dense urban environment in the country, and you won’t have to pay for it, easy as that.
“Anti-Elizabeth” – you are aware Elizabeth is a common name, right? I’m not the same person who was posting earlier. In fact, I don’t even know how to drive or have a license. I hate cars and love to see them get ticketed.
Tribeca Citizen – thanks for the clarification! I still see the placards too, but hoped the problem was less severe than before, as the area around Church Street seems less intensely congested with these fakers!
I reposted because it illustrated their more recent story about the NYPD refusing to share information. And yes, the problem persists. My photos are from last week, when placard cars were fully blocking the left turn lane on Broadway. Walk along Chambers and you will see they block one entire block of traffic going west from Centre to Broadway.
Why is Reade Street parking between Hudson and Greenwich only available for cars with permits or commercial. Why isn’t it alternate side of the street parking?
The Reade St commercial parking is probably an artifact of over 20 years ago when there was plenty of commercial traffic activity, especially on the north side. The condo with Stella on the ground floor, the glass townhouse next door and the 3 brick townhouses just west of that all replaces older buildings with street food cart garages/ commissaries on the ground floor. It was very busy early mornings and late afternoons as the carts went out and then came back for the evening. Speaking of food carts — isn’t the law that they can’t be in place 24 hrs? Thinking of the eyesore in Bogardus on the W Broadway / Chambers corner. Any idea how to complain about that?
There was a short time, several years ago (maybe 10 yrs ago?), when Reade Street changed their parking rules. If memory serves it was something akin to the West Village – no parking at certain times on certain street cleaning days, but otherwise full time non-commercial parking. I even wrote to Erik Torkells (the former editor of the Tribeca Citizen) and he did a little piece about it. But as soon as it came, it went away. So… there was something going on then. A study? Testing?
plainly put the situation is abysmal and shows no signs of improving