[http://transalt.org/files/newsroom/streetbeat/2011/May/0512.html#bogus]

In the crosswalk, blocking the hydrant, all four wheels on the sidewalk -- in New York, with a vehicle and some detritus on the dash, you can park most anywhere. For two days last year, a white van was parked illegally in Times Square with no license plates and a bomb in the backseat. On the dashboard? A bogus parking permit. New York's parking permit problem is not just about equity of space on any given block; it's a matter of public safety.

According to a new T.A. report, more than 57 percent of parking permits are illegitimate. The report, Totally Bogus: A Study of Parking Permit Abuse in NYC, found a majority of government-issued parking permits were used to park illegally, and nearly half were counterfeit. From construction vests to union cards to slips of paper that just say NYPD; parking permit abuse is not only prolific, it has become a creative art.

This is not the first time T.A. has taken on New York's dirty parking secret. In two prior studies, T.A. uncovered massive abuse in the parking permit system and our exposés resulted in real change: In 2008, Mayor Bloomberg reduced the number of parking permits issued to elected officials and city agencies by 46 percent. But those cuts have proven not to be enough. In the report released last week, T.A. researchers found one in four parking permits within the study area was a sham. Expand T.A.'s study area to encompass all New York, and there are between 10,000 and 25,000 ersatz parking permits in use citywide.

There's only one way to finally roust all the fakers: Arm the city's parking space watchdogs, NYPD Traffic Enforcement Agents, with the tools to ensure every permit is a real one. That's why Councilmember Daniel Garodnick has introduced the Authentic Permit Act (Intro. 465) to mandate bar codes on all city-issued parking permits. When every true parking permit sports a set of digits to be scanned, forged permits will become futile.

The next step is a hearing in the City Council. Council Speaker Quinn can make bogus parking permits impermissible; T.A. has faith that her leadership will clear New York City's parking slate.

TAKE ACTION:
Ask Council Speaker Quinn for relief from parking permit abuse. The Authentic Permit Act needs a City Council hearing now.
http://www.transalt.org/takeaction/actioncenter/5308