A new way to boost city parking enforcement by incentivizing New Yorkers to report illegally parked cars is on the cards. The bill, which was introduced to the City Council, would give those who filed the report a 25% cut on a $175 proposed ticket fine, or $44.
Participants would submit photos or videos of vehicles blocking bike lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, or school entrances or exits.
The Department of Transportation would establish a civilian reporting program under the bill, where complaints could be submitted. The DOT would then present the evidence to the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings to determine whether the 25% kickback would be awarded.
The proposed regulations are similar to the Citizens Air Complaint Program
According to Bloomberg, Council Member Lincoln Restler, who sponsored the legislation and has the support of nearly two dozen other council members, said that the city isn’t issuing enough tickets.
“I feel the safety risks every day that are associated with illegal parking,” Restler said. “It’s even more problematic for the parent pushing a stroller or a person in a wheelchair who can’t get by on the sidewalk because of illegally parked cars. That’s why we are creating, in this legislation, a new structure to bring real accountability.”
The proposed regulations are similar to the Citizens Air Complaint Program, which also pays New Yorkers 25% for reporting idling commercial vehicles.
Reporting illegally parked cars may result in violent confrontations: Critics
Detractors of the bill contend that it may result in violent confrontations between motorists and the reporting civilians. Critics also point out that fines of $175 per ticket would disproportionately harm New Yorkers with lower incomes, resulting in wider economic disparities.
Others argue that while the city has made some progress in improving the situation of bikers in the city, structural changes may be more beneficial than a focused civilian program.