via NYC DOT
March 17, 2020 By Allie Griffin
The mayor has asked New Yorkers to stay home as much as possible to slow the spread of coronavirus — except to move their cars for alternate street side parking.
Despite declaring a state of emergency, Mayor Bill de Blasio has kept alternate street side parking in effect.
At a press conference yesterday, de Blasio said the possibility of suspending the rules and street cleaning is “still being discussed.”
“It’s a rolling list of agenda items and as we make each decision, we’re announcing them.”
Several elected officials have called for the suspension of the rules.
Queens Council Member Robert Holden joined the call for de Blasio to suspend alternate side parking until further notice.
“If he is serious in telling New Yorkers to stay home as much as possible to stop the spread of #COVID19, then the least he can do is make sure we’re not penalized for parking on top of all the anxiety this virus is causing,” Holden said on Twitter.
I’m joining the call for @NYCMayor to suspend alternate side parking until further notice and supplement the need to avoid unnecessary contact. https://t.co/173w7hnm08
— Robert Holden (@BobHoldenNYC) March 16, 2020
Council Speak Corey Johnson also called for the mayor to end alternate street parking.
“We shouldn’t be fining people $65 during a pandemic,” Johnson tweeted.
On Pix11 this morning, de Blasio said street cleaning was necessary to keep the city clean during a public health crisis.
“I am worried about a city in the middle of an epidemic that gets less and less clean,” de Blasio said. “That’s not good public health practice.”
However, he said the City may decide to cancel street cleaning and alternate side parking.
“We’re going to be re-evaluating that today and we might make a change as early as today.”
2 Comments
de Blasio said. “That’s not good public health practice.”
Know what else isn’t good health practice? Homeless encampments, bums sprawled out in the subway system and on subway cars. Turing a blind eye to public urination.
Shouldn’t be fining anyone 65 dollars even without the pandemic.