Brazen city workers illegally park vehicles in traffic-choked NYC neighborhood, survey finds: 'It's time we take action'

""Illegal parking has taken over every block of Downtown Brooklyn," Restler said, noting the vehicles also block sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes and loading zones."

""There is negligible enforcement against illegal parking," he added, "and it's time that we take action to abolish government placards and improve street designs to make Downtown Brooklyn safer for all.""

"An NYPD spokesperson refuted Restler's claims, noting the department has "aggressively" addressed illegal parking in the precinct, with 113,429 parking summonses, including 821 placard summonses, 2,018 vehicles towed and 511 vehicles booted this year to date. The NYPD also recently installed "Tow Away Zone" signage at Tillary and Navy streets underneath the Brooklyn Queens Expressway to curb illegal parking, according to the spokesperson."

A City Council survey recorded an average of 457 illegally parked vehicles daily across 60 blocks of downtown Brooklyn from May 26 to June 20. Many cars used government placards, fake placards or signs resembling NYPD vests, and only about 3% were ticketed. Vehicles occupied no-standing zones, bus stops, painted buffer zones, sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes and loading zones, often displaying placards from various government offices and marked and unmarked NYPD cars. Councilman Lincoln Restler urged abolishing government placards and improving street design; the NYPD reported extensive summonses, tows, boots and new "Tow Away Zone" signage.

Read at New York Post