“Right now, I currently don’t have a car just because parking is bad,” said Briana, a Coney Island resident.
A lot of the parking issues stem from the more than a dozen car repair shops in the area. Workers often use the sidewalk and residential streets as their workshops.
“They all move out onto the street the sidewalks. So many free parking spots here but they are being used by cars waiting to be fixed,” said Sara, who has worked in Coney Island for the last year.
In June, the New York State Senate passed a
bill to curb sidewalk parking. It would require auto shops to obtain community approval to renew their certificate of registration with the Department of Motor Vehicles. The bill would also require the commissioner to look into the shops history of parking violations and the shop's impact on traffic and parking in the area.
The bill will now make its way to the Assembly.
If passed, it will go to the governor to sign.