Public Advocate Writes Letter To NYPD About Pesach Parking Tickets Issued In Williamsburg

NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio wrote a letter to NYPD Chief (of Transportation) James Tuller regarding the recent ticket and towing blitz which took place in Williamsburg over Pesach.

More than 41 cars were towed and more than 100 given summonses, even though it was Pesach.Parking was scheduled to be suspended Tuesday and Wednesday for Pesach, but the NYPD apparently thought the affected days were Monday and Tuesday.

The following is the text of the letter:

May 9, 2011

Chief of Transportation Bureau James Tuller
New York Police Department
1 Police Plaza
New York, NY 10007

Dear Chief Tuller,

My office has received numerous complaints from residents of Williamsburg who received parking tickets during the Passover holiday. Some vehicles were towed away, at the owners’ expense. In total, between April 19 and 20, traffic enforcement towed 41 vehicles and issued 100 summonses for parking in a “no standing” zone during rush hour along Bedford and Lee Avenues.

Many of those observing Passover in Williamsburg are prohibited from driving, making it impossible to move their vehicles once the holiday has begun. For many years, a tacit understanding between the community and local precinct allowed for some degree of parking flexibility during holidays. What disturbs me is that this year’s increase in enforcement activity came unannounced, and in a manner that left resident without any recourse to move their vehicles. This is a clear breakdown in communication with the community which has led to significant frustration and expense for affected residents.

If the NYPD has concerns about safety or traffic flow in Williamsburg necessitating increased enforcement, it should have raised them prior to the holiday when residents could have made alternative arrangements. Failure to notify that community in advance of resulted in many needless tickets being issued, without necessarily increasing compliance with traffic laws.

I urge you to engage more proactively with area residents to create honest and clear expectations regarding the enforcement of parking regulations, so that we can avoid future incidents of this nature.

Sincerely,

Bill de Blasio

Public Advocate for the City of New York