NO 'CENTS' TO CHANGE

Rep. Anthony Weiner (second from left) and State Sen. Joseph Addabbo (second from right) are joined by Maria Thomson and Matthew Xenakis of the Woodhaven Business Improvement District in feeding a meter on Jamaica Avenue last Thursday, Apr. 16. Small businesses and their customers are being hurt by the recent increase in parking meter rates and fines, said local elected officials and merchants during a press conference held last Thursday morning, Apr. 16 along Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven.

Rep. Anthony Weiner was joined by State Sen. Joseph Addabbo and members of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation (GWDC) and the Woodhaven Business Improvement District (WBID) in de- nouncing the recent increase in parking meter rates which they claimed was implemented by the city's Department of Transportation with little public notice.

As reported, the DOT implemented the changes in February, decreasing the amount of time a quarter could buy a driver to park on a city street. Drivers are now charged 25 cents for 20 minutes of parking time; previously, they received 30 minutes for the same charge.

Hourly rates were also increased as a result of the change, as it now costs motorists 75 cents (up from 50 cents) to park at a metered spot for 60 minutes.

On top of that, according to Congressman Weiner, the city has increased the number of parking tickets while also raising fines in recent years for parking violations. He cited statistics from the Department of Finance indicating that 10 million parking tickets were issued in New York City in 2008—two million more than the actual number of people who live in the five boroughs.

According to a report released by Weiner, more than 1,000 parking tickets were given between 2007 and 2008 along one block of Jamaica Avenue between 91st and 92nd streets.

Combined with the hike in parking rates, the increase in the number of tickets issued spells bad news for local businesses and shoppers alike, Weiner observed. He stated that local stores and families are having a tough enough time currently making ends meet amid an ongoing recession.

"The issue is whether or not the city is interested in helping businesses or just helping to fill the coffers," the congressman said. "We're here to say, 'Enough is enough.' Sometimes the economy hurts people with the big dollars. Sometimes it hurts with nickels and dimes."

Echoing those sentiments was Senator Addabbo, who stated that the parking meter rate was changed in February with little notice given to drivers or shopkeepers.

"The street signs didn't change until later," he said. "People still thought they were getting 30 minutes. If the city wanted to do it in good faith, they would have changed the signs first to give them fair warning."

Ten minutes less parking time may mean thousands of dollars less spent by shoppers at stores along Jamaica Avenue and other shopping strips across the city, Addabbo observed. With less time to browse local stores, many drivers parked at nearby meters may choose to leave before having to feed the meter a second time.

Weiner also cited published projections indicating that the city expects to raise an additional $66 million in revenue through the issuing of more parking tickets.

"If you see [a ticket] on your car, it's the kind of experience that leads you to say, 'You know what? I'm not going back,'" the congressman said, holding up an orange parking ticket. "You can have the greatest experience in the store, but if one of these is waiting for you when you get out of the store, frankly that entire relationship has been soiled."

Joining Weiner and Addabbo in denouncing the parking rate increase was Maria Thomson, executive director of the GWDC and WBID. She stated that the hike adds another burden to small businesses along Jamaica Avenue that have been coping with higher water taxes, real estate taxes and other expenses.

The president of the GWDC and owner of the Orthopedic Shoe Clinic on Jamaica Avenue, Steven Esposito, added that the greater risk of drivers receiving parking tickets will ultimately give customers from outside the community little incentive to drive in and frequent area stores.

"They have no reason to come back if they get a ticket," he said. "Since the mayor can't tax us anymore, he's fining us to death."