But Mayor Vows To Veto It
By Harold Egeln
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
DYKER HEIGHTS – Just wait five minutes! That is now the legal grace period parking violators under certain circumstances will have as traffic agents will now be required to count down the time that will give drivers a brief break before issuing a summons.
Hailing the passage of legislation relating to parking violation situations were Councilman Vincent Gentile (D-Bay Ridge), speaking at a Community Board 10 meeting here on Monday evening, and Councilman Simcha Felder (D-Midwood/Borough Park). They are either authors or co-sponsors of four pieces of legislation passed by the City Council on Monday.
“I’m happy to say that the City Council took real solutions to institute, mandate and codify that curbs parking summonses abuses,” said Gentile as board members applauded at their meeting at the Norwegian Christian Home in Dyker Heights. “We finally got a five-minute grace period for muni-meters and alternate side of the street parking.”
The passing of Felder’s bill by a 47-2 vote on the grace period on expired muni-meter parking – it excludes the standard meters – and sweep cleaner parking times has come with a vow from Mayor Bloomberg to veto it.
Gentile, deemed a city leader of aggressive ticketing and holding public forums on the issue, said, “It’s a bill the mayor doesn’t like. He’ll veto it. We’re confident that we have enough votes to override his veto.”
The grace period, the mayor said, would “lead to chaos” and a huge jump in the amount of contested tickets in traffic courts.
“Anyone with common sense and decency understands the need for a five-minute grace period to eliminate ‘gothcha’ tickets,” said Felder in his statement on ending “predatory enforcement” that has enraged drivers citywide.
Gentile’s bill concerned official notification of any changes in parking rules, propelled by an unannounced change earlier this year from 30 minutes to 20 for each quarter deposited that caught many unawares. “Our district office and the Board 10 office got a flood of complaints about this. It was an outrage.”
He explained. “The new law requires any notification of any changes in parking meter rules and the Department of Transportation must provide written and electronic communication about changes to all community boards.”
Another bill authored by Felder passed that forbids sudden parking requirement changes that have been made by the DOT. “It requires notification of parking restrictions. No longer can changes be made in the middle of the day,” Gentile said. “You’ve parked in the right place in the morning and get a summons in the evening as the DOT changes signs while you were parked.”
“It’s unreasonable for the city to change parking regulations and restrictions without letting the public know,” said Felder, adding that official DOT notification must be made at least one week in advance.
Traffic Agents To Clergy: Let Us Prey?
Yet another passed bill, by Gentile, affects clergy parking, allowing cars with clergy displayed signs not to be ticked at funeral masses and while out on clerical duties.
He referred to the case of a minister from St. Andrew the Apostle R.C. Church in Bay Ridge: “He got out of his sick bed to drive to Maimonides Medical Center to give last rites to a patient. He got a ticket where he parked. This will no longer be allowed.”
Board 10 Chair Dean Rasinya praised the council’s actions. “In 2007 over $600 million was taken out of city residents for parking violations. We were actually taxed more since this has become a revenue stream for the city. It should be about safety and moving traffic. It’s been out of balance”
Speaking directly to the mayor’s representative for southern Brooklyn, Charles Glover, Rasinya exclaimed, “Take that message back to the mayor!” Glover announced that Bloomberg is now forming “a training course for traffic agents” to alter their aggressive behavior and exercise “reasonable discretion.”
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