Senate Bill S8727

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8727

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to increasing
the fines for parking violations

 
PURPOSE:

Increasing fines for parking violations to clear vehicles for street
cleaning.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 237 of the
vehicle and traffic law, to allow for the City to impose a fine of $65
for the first parking violation, $85 for the second parking violation,
and $100 for each subsequent violation, other than those specifically
enumerated in the section.

Section 2 makes the enactment immediate.
              

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Maintaining street cleanliness and litter control in New York City are
important quality-of-life concerns for property owners, businesses and
the New York City Department of Sanitation. Street cleaning parking
rules in the boroughs of Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens ensure
that more than 6,000 curb miles of City streets are open and accessible
to Department workers who operate street cleaning vehicles, also known
as mechanical brooms. The Department schedules an average of 200 mechan-
ical brooms per weekday to sweep the City's streets. These vehicles are
equipped with heavy duty brushes or "brooms" that loosen street debris
and contain a mechanism to spray the street with water for reducing air
pollutants on the street. Any decrease or loss of a substantial portion
of the Department's cleaning capability as a result of vehicles parked
in violation of alternate side parking restrictions greatly affects
community cleanliness.

The purpose of this legislation is to allow New York City to increase
the current cap imposed for certain parking violations from $50 to $100.
Such increase will give the City the flexibility to impose a higher fine
amount for certain parking violations, especially those relating to the
failure to comply with street cleaning parking rules.  An increase in
the fine amount from $50 to $100 will potentially act as a deterrent to
vehicle owners who fail to move their vehicles during street cleaning.
Moving vehicles for alternate side parking enables the Department to
sweep the streets, keeping neighborhoods healthy, safe and clean. Alter-
nate side parking regulations also free up curb space for other munici-
pal functions which include roadway striping and utility work.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Legislation

 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

N/A
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.