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ALBANY, NY – MAY 12: Empty metered street parking spaces and a sign for the city’s Green-Hudson Parking Garage are seen at the lower end of State St. on Monday, May 12, 2025, in Albany, N.Y. (Will Waldron/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)
NEW YORK – One local law could eliminate 300,000 parking spots in New York City.
Street safety dream or parking nightmare?
What we know:
The New York City Council is set to vote on a bill, Intro 1138, that would prohibit parking a vehicle within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.
The bill would also require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to implement daylight barriers, such as planters or bike racks, at a minimum of 1,000 intersections per year.
“Daylighting” is a method that clears the curb space next to crosswalks of obstructions and introduces infrastructure like benches.
The Council’s Progressive Caucus prioritized the measure on July 30. The bill, referred to as the “Universal Daylighting” bill, is sponsored by Council Member Julie Won.
Opposition from the DOT
The other side:
New York City’s DOT released a study in January of this year regarding the practice of “daylighting,” alleging that the method only minimally improves traffic safety.
The department has also expressed concern over the cost of these implementations. The deputy commissioner of the DOT said at a City Council meeting that the installations required by the bill would cost $3 billion.
The Source: This article includes information from a study released by New York City’s Department of Transportation and testimony given at a New York City Council meeting.
TransportationNew York City Council