"Good morning and welcome to this hearing of the City Council's Committee on Transportation. I am Ydanis Rodriguez, the Chair of the Committee. One of the great things about chairing this committee are the broad number of transportation issues that fall within its jurisdiction and that we can review: mass transit; congestion pricing, alternate side parking regulations, muni-meters, traffic control devices, speed cameras, bicycles, sidewalks, and others.
This Committee deals with many issues that affect the everyday lives of New Yorkers. I am proud of the work we have done over the past 5 years, and, that we will continue to do, to improve the transportation infrastructure here in the city and the numerous transportation services that are offered to our residents.
As you can see from today's agenda, we have a full plate before us. First, the committee will be conducting an oversight hearing on parking regulations in New York City. The City's parking regulations play a vital role in vehicle movement and govern where they can stop, stand and park. These regulations are in place to help ease the flow of traffic, facilitate on-street parking, assist in the delivery of goods to businesses, and maintain our streets clean. However, sometimes these regulations can become too burdensome or outdated, many of them are old and must be modified, which is why we are having this hearing today.
It is my hope that during today's hearing we will hear testimony from the administration, advocates and various stakeholders on ways we can continue to improve parking regulations and traffic flow in the city for vehicles and trucks, while at the same time maintaining our commitment to pedestrian safety.
The committee will also be considering 13 pieces of legislation. Two bills that I have sponsored relate to muni-meters. Intro. No. 325, relates to "rounding up" parking time, and would allow a person purchasing time at a muni-meter to pay only up to the last full unit of time before the end of the paid parking period. This would prevent a person from having to pay beyond the mandatory paid parking time.
And Intro. No. 334, would require DOT to create a mobile application or approve the use of a mobile application that would connect individuals so that they can exchanged unused muni-meter time.
We will hear several bills related to alternate side parking restrictions. Intro. No. 370, sponsored by Council Member Salamanca, would suspend alternate side parking regulations on Three Kings Day. Intro. No. 497, sponsored by Council Member Koo, would suspend alternate side parking regulations on Lunar New Year's Eve.
We will also hear several bills related to improving pedestrian safety: Intro. No. 206, sponsored by Council Member Matteo, would require DOT to install pedestrian countdown displays at any intersection where there is a photo-enforced traffic violation system. And Intro. No. 1142, sponsored by Council Member Constantinides, would require leading pedestrian interval signals, or LPIs, at intersections adjacent to hospitals, libraries, schools, and senior centers
Additionally we will hear bills related to sidewalks and street space. Intro. No. 886, sponsored by Council Member Espinal, would permit commercial establishments to place pet harbors in front of their businesses so that owners can leave their small pets unattended in a safe enclosed shelter for a short period of time while they shop.
Intro. No. 867, sponsored by Council Member Adams, would require DOT to review street widths in order to reevaluate street traffic flow designations. And Intro. No. 928, also sponsored by Council Member Adams, would require at least two corners of a street intersection to have the appropriate street name signage installed.
Several bills relate to commercial vehicles and truck deliveries, including Intro. No. 1140, also sponsored by Council Member Constantinides, would require DCAS to develop an off-hour delivery plan and for that plan to be submitted to the Mayor and the Speaker of the Council.
Intro. No. 1010, sponsored by Council Member Miller, would increase the penalties for certain commercial vehicles that park overnight on residential streets. Intro. No. 1011, also sponsored by Council Member Miller, would reduce the maximum time certain commercial vehicles may park to no more than 90 minutes.
Finally, two bills relate to parking fines and the adjudication of parking fines. Intro. No. 570, sponsored by Council Member Treyger, would waive parking violations issued to motorists who park their cars in spots that have illegible parking signs.
Let me first recognize my colleagues who are here with us today. I now invite the sponsors to give opening statements on their bills. Thank you, Council Members.
I would like to welcome the representatives of the Administration who are here with us today. Thank you for being here. I now ask the Committee Counsel to administer the affirmation and then invite you to deliver your statement."
