This week on Monday, nearly a hundred New York taxi drivers gathered in front of City Hall and participated in a hearing to demand the City Council to pass a proposal referred to by drivers as “Convenient Parking.” Simply put, they are requesting the city to allow them to park on commercial metered parking spaces for up to 30 minutes to address urgent needs like using the restroom.
The proposal, known as Intro 1000, was put forth by Council Member Justin Brannan, suggesting an amendment to city laws to permit taxi drivers to park at commercial metered parking spaces up to four times a day for a maximum of 30 minutes each time.
“For most office workers, a regular lunch break or restroom break may seem ordinary, but for our city’s ride-share drivers, it poses a headache,” said Brannan. “Due to limited designated parking spaces, ride-share drivers often struggle to find a legal parking spot when needed. A simple restroom break could turn into a long journey across bridges or tunnels, or result in costly parking tickets, causing them to lose a significant portion of their day’s earnings.”
“By opening up existing commercial vehicle parking spaces, we can provide real assistance to the 80,000 Uber and Lyft drivers who play a vital role in keeping our city running,” Brannan stated.
A Chinese driver testified at the hearing to emphasize this point. He shared an incident where he experienced sudden stomach pain while working in Manhattan. Despite his efforts, he couldn’t find a legal parking spot near a public restroom. He ended up parking at a commercial parking space to address his urgent need, only to return to find a $110 fine on his windshield.
“My day’s earnings went down the drain,” said the Chinese driver. “Searching for a parking spot not only wastes time but also affects my health.”
According to City Council data, Manhattan has only 31 designated parking spots, averaging to about 2,600 drivers per spot among the city’s 80,000 ride-share drivers. On the other hand, Manhattan has over 600 commercial parking spaces. The Intro 1000 proposal aims to allow drivers to park in these spaces while also requiring them to pay fees, which would contribute to the city’s revenue.
Fernando Mateo, the founder of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, urged at the hearing for enforcement officers to exempt taxi drivers making quick stops for restroom breaks. He also emphasized the time taxi drivers need when assisting passengers with disabilities, suggesting they should be exempt from bus lane camera fines during these instances.
New York Chinese drivers expressed their support for the Convenient Parking proposal but are more focused on endorsing the Intro 276 proposal that safeguards driver job positions. They revealed their plans to rally in support of this legislation at City Hall on the 25th of this month.
Currently, among the supporters of the Intro 1000 proposal are Council Member Margaret Chin and nine other co-sponsors.