Parking in Williamsburg

by Lindsay Hansen

If you live in Williamsburg and own a car, prepare for a big hassle. The City of New York has many parking regulations and an endless supply of officers ready to enforce them. In my first two months here, I have received four tickets, had my car impounded, and had my car moved by the crew of Third Watch. I am not guaranteeing that if you follow my lead you’ll be in the clear, but you can at least learn from my mistakes.

To begin, the biggest annoyance is the seemingly constant street sweeping. In most cases, one side of the street is swept on Monday and Thursday mornings and the other side is done Tuesday and Friday mornings. No matter how you figure it, you have to move your car four times a week. Be careful, though, because the times vary. On 7th Street, the sweeping is done from 9 to 10:30 am. On the perpindicular streets (Wyethe, for example) the sweeping starts at 8am. If you are caught on the wrong side of the street, you will be ticketed for $35. If you want to park on Bedford, be advised that the area right by the subway is primarily meters. And don’t even think about parking near a bus lane. New York City has made a rule that one sign on the street covers the whole street. The ticket for a bus lane violation is $55, and if you are really unlucky, you can receive more than one ticket in one day. One other thing about street sweeping is the "night regulation," where your car can’t be on that part of the street at some random hour, like from midnight to 4am on Friday.

There are some days of relief for street sweeping, like every holiday the city can think of. You don’t have to worry about your car on Christmas, the beginning of Passover and St. Patrick’s Day, to name a few. If you’re ever unsure, you can call 718-CALL-DOT.

There are plenty of other ways to cause consternation for the Brooklyn driver. Be careful of fire hydrants. You must be at least 15 feet away, or you’ll get a ticket AND be towed to the impound yard in a sketchy part of DUMBO. If you ever don’t know where your car is, first check with the police. They can tell you if it’s been impounded. If it’s in the impound yard, get your car as soon as you can. (And take a cab, because it’s in an unpleasant area). The tow is a minimum of $150, plus $15/night that your car sleeps over. The ticket is extra. Parking by a fire hydrant, my offense of choice, is $55.

As for getting out parking tickets, it is possible. According to my landlord, disputing by mail is the way to go. If you completely lack morals, you can create evidence after the fact, submitting a photograph of your car nowhere near where the police officer alleged. You can also cite technical faux pas--if the officer does not write down your plate number, does not sign the ticket, or assesses your minivan as a sedan, the ticket can be erased completely. There is even a handy pamphlet that the City of New York has created: It’s the Law: Your Rights When Disputing a Parking Ticket. You can download this and hand it out at your next party. Finally, the Parking Violations Help Line is 718-422-7800.

One final tip--if your car is missing and you are positive you were not in error to park there, assess the scene. Is there a catering van? Are there people skulking about with walkie-talkies? If so, your car has probably been relocated for a movie or tv shoot. When that happens, find the most official looking person (they usually have a clipboard) and demand to know where your car is. When they moved mine, it was on Kent Avenue, ready to be stolen.