A totaled car in police custody parked in front of The Strand on Columbus Ave between 81st and 82nd streets (May, 2021)
Community Board 7‘s Transportation Committee met on Tuesday evening to discuss a number of items, one of which was why the western side of Columbus Avenue between 81st and 82nd streets is frequently lined with double-parked private cars blocking traffic.
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One board member pointed out that the cars are sometimes clearly police vehicles, and that sometimes the vehicles are damaged – adding that they “[make] it much tougher to get through those blocks for not only vehicles but buses and delivery vans and everything.” The board member added that he sometimes sees the line of cars extending to 83rd Street and even sitting in turning lanes.
The 20th Precinct’s traffic sergeant joined the meeting to clarify that the cars belong to officers – while later confirming that some of the damaged vehicles may have been in accidents or belonged to suspects.
“As you guys are well aware, parking around the precinct is very limited. Unfortunately, we have an influx of officers with limited parking space here. So unfortunately, they do take up those lanes. Sometimes they’re in the turning lane. We try to talk to officers, they most often move their vehicles. But it’s simple. It’s us. Those are our vehicles. Parking here is very limited. And again, we’ve had an influx of officers coming in from different commands. So we can continuously keep talking to them, keep talking to them. I know that they’re also doing construction on the precinct block itself, which unfortunately at times [forces us] to move some of these vehicles back out onto Columbus.”
The sergeant went on to state that there are three nearby streets where parking is designated for cops, but that residents who aren’t aware of this frequently take their spots. The streets he mentioned were the precinct street itself (82nd between Amsterdam and Columbus), Columbus Ave between 81st and 83rd streets, and 83rd between CPW and Columbus.
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There was some questioning about whether all of those cars belong to 20th Precinct cops. The sergeant said it’s the “vast majority” of them.
A board member also asked the sergeant if the NYPD had any relationships with parking garages, but he said that question was above his pay grade.
A member of the public who attended the meeting argued that the street they live on – Columbus Ave. between 81st and 82nd – is frequently dirty and full of rats because, they say, the street never gets a proper cleaning because of the parked cars. Talk ensued about a coordinated effort between the Dept of Sanitation and NYPD.
“We will be talking to you and to DOT about getting you some more parking spaces in strategic locations. And if you have anybody in the precinct that has the option of taking mass transit, I’d be happy to give them the best directions from where they’re starting,” a board member said at the meeting’s conclusion.
The full meeting can be watched here (it’s the first 30 minutes or so).
It’s because the police are showing the level of respect they have for the community.
West 54th Street has the same issue, and there all of the parking spaces are reserved for cop cars and cops’ personal cars, Several are often trashed and left there for months.
That’s just the beginning, just wait till congestion pricing starts and the UWS, Harlem, and Washington Heights become parking lots from commuters from Westchester and Rockland and further north that don’t want to pay that extra toll to proceed downtown.
Oh this will absolutely happen. But maybe not for long when they realize it will become impossible to find parking (unless they decide to get parking garage spots). Maybe some will even decide to take public transit!
Same problem on West 100th street. Though it’s very wide, the police -owned cars are always double parked, the streets are filthy, and never cleaned, and the rats are abundant.
Many, if not all, police drive in from the suburbs. If that’s their choice, why do they get privileged parking spots? Let them be treated as all other commuters. (Better yet, let them live in the city that they serve)
As a municipal employee who took-in my elderly mother in 2020, I was priced-out of the City, as many of us are. New York’s civil service do not make a living to support living within the five boroughs. We have to commute from suburban areas because we were forced out there. Suburban areas are not well-covered by transportation, such that driving becomes a necessity. And as long as I’m driving, paying insurance, gas, inspection, etc, why would I pay for train fares on top of all that? I specifically bought my car for two purposes: care for my mom, and not to use that decrepit, dilapidated, unreliable, ancient, unsanitary train system that is guaranteed to break-down.
We should follow other cities to provide residents only parking space on the streets. Period!
Unfreekin all too real. Cops. Cop Culture. Impunity. Disgusting.
“Money is very limited, which unfortunately causes me at times to have to take your property without being able to compensate you for it.”
“Restrooms are very limited, which unfortunately causes me at times to have to relieve myself in public on the street.”
That’s an embarrassing laughable excuse in other contexts. Are the the people nominally charged with enforcing our laws so coddled that they don’t know how to solve these basic grownup problems?
Why don’t they take public transportation?
One good reason is that cops work off hours. There are bad reasons which I won’t list here.
I just don’t understand why they trash so many personal cars and why they suppose NYC streets are legit storage pounds for those cars/SUVs.
Also seen personal cop cars with obscured plates.
“Also seen personal cop cars with obscured plates”
…. a perfect example. Despicable, deplorable, indefensible!
They police us – but who is policing them as they do whatever, whenever?
W100 between Amsterdam and Columbus is a nightmare due to both the NYFD and NYPD double and triple parking their vehicles as well as impounded vehicles as well as service vehicles.
I can be vaguely sympathetic if they are using spots to park damaged cars that are connected to an investigation or similar. However, what infuriates me is they consistently park their private vehicles in the travel lanes on Columbus (between 82nd and 81st) blocking travel lanes — even when the curb lane is available (it is as though they are trying to hold two lanes for police parking). By doing so, they cause unbelivable congestion on Columbus Avenue for all of us who have to take the bus. Further, they often park right up to the intersection — interfering with the ability to use the crosswalk and/or changing the sightlines for the crosswalk. It really seems like such a clear sign that they do not care about the community. And, I’m still perplexed why so many of them need to drive to work… there are countless peopel who work crazy hours (nightshifts, etc) in NYC and still use public transit. Sure, maybe a small subset needs to, but it feels like its a crazy number of cars for one station.
Quick! Where’s the world’s smallest violin?
Very interesting post that strikes the nail squarely on the head.
Instead of charging people whose finances are already stretched thin for driving in the City, why not do away with all the double-parking throughout?
Consider alleviating the following instead:
Double-parking which causes triple-parking (Inwood/Washington Heights)
Delivery trucks that are left in the middle of the street, sometimes straddling the double-yellow center line.
Passive-aggressive school bus drivers
Pedestrians prancing and sauntering talking on cell phones with pets and strollers move slow and act like they’re walking the runway.
Bikers who travel in traffic lanes as cars pile up behind them.
Buses that do not use the bus lanes.
Bikers who do not use the bike lanes.
Drivers who intentionally irritate other drivers by going super slow, tailgating, blinding others with high beams, low beams, fog lamps and extras.
Long stoplight cycles.
Take the speed back up to 30, and adjust limites according to the road conditions. Downtown/Midtown/most of Manhattan: 25, definitely. But for long stretches of wide, low-traffic road, like Jerome Avenue in Van Cortlandt Park, Cross Bay Boulevard, certain sections of Linden Boulevard, the Henry Hudson Parkway/West Side Highway, and 11th Avenue near the Javitz, 25 is much too slow.
And yes: the police just do whatever they want. No consequence, irrespective of everyone and everything else. Boldest, indeed.
Yeah the florist vans and others belonging to local businesses are definite associated with the precinct. ?