Jackson Heights Life

There are many parking issues along 37th Ave and the side streets. There's tons of double parking, standing by hydrants and standing (and parking) in bus stops (esp. on 81st street and 83rd street). The area around 74th Street (especially on weekends) is a terrible traffic issue. I remember trying to get from 35th to 37th on 73rd street on Sunday. It took over 10 minutes to got just one block.

There are many spots that need the traffic agents and police to help keep traffic moving. Residents and merchants are definite behind the increased ticketing in order to ease the flow of cars and truck - especially trucks.

However, Will is correct that the News article was slanted incorrectly and gives the wrong impression. I have emailed the news asking for a correction. I don't want people afraid to come to JH. That only hurts the merchants.

I haven't gotten an undeserved ticket in JH (though once was ticketed for parking in front of a hydrant while I ran upstairs- damn! that was quick!), though two of my friends were towed on a Saturday morning, which I wasn't expecting. One, I misread the signs on 82nd street- it was raining pretty badly on friday night, and I don't park on the street, so I didn't realize that she would have to be gone by 8am on Saturday. The other person apparently parked in front of the church on 34th. I lived in Astoria for 6 years before moving to JH, and have only gotten tickets and those annoying stickers for not having moved my car on time, so being towed was quite a surprise for both me and my guests! Luckily I had my  car and was able to bring them out to the tow lot.

Just an interesting factoid regarding Fed Ex and UPS: They park wherever they can because they don't care if they get tickets.  They have a deal with the City and pay a flat fee every year regardless of how many tickets they get. 

I can't remember the exact figure, but I think it's a couple of million dollars.     

This might help explain the truck parking violation fines:

http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/04/30/city-council-considers-eliminating-fines-for-illegal-truck-parking/

Maybe the program has been shelved.  I know DOT wasn't very happy about it.  But I am sure that both UPS and Fed Ex paid flat fees at least until 2003 (I work for one of the agencies that was involved in the negotiations).  But I moved to a different part of the agency in 2004 and have no clue how it works now.  I haven't heard a peep about it since then, now that I think about it. 

I have had a spotted history with parking tickets since moving here two years ago.  On the night before I moved in, I parked in what i thought was a good spot, ran in to pick up keys to the apartment and returned 5 minutes later to find the car towed.  $260 later I had my car back, my keys and a warning that enforcement was very strict here.  Last year I got three tickets all for the same violaton issued day after day after day.  This time i was guilty of parking head in on 69th St instead of back in.  The sign had changed after I had parked and what was legal on Monday was illegal as of Wednesday, and so on that day and the two following days I got hit for fines.  Believing this smacked of a post factum enforcement I fought the tickets--submitted a written explanation, attached photos and WON!  Three times in the past year I have had the car towed without penalty because PARADE signs went up after I had parked legally.  No summons but a real inconvenience.  What is needed here is ample info on parades, and streets used for staging.  Forewarned would be nice.
Other have mentioned the need for a more rounded traffic enforcement that would address noise, congestion and pollution.  I would certainly welcome that.  There was study done last year at considerable cost, have those recommendations been made known and do they address any of the issues raised here?

I would definitely fight it.  $165 is  a lot of money, and you shouldn't have to pay a penalty if you did nothing wrong.  Write up your explanation clearly and include a picture or two to back up your claim and submit.  In my case they contacted me and offered a half price deal before my submissions was addressed and i declined it.  A week or two later i received a notice stating that they agreed with my submission and that the fines were cancelled.  Sometimes you can fight city hall and win!

They should station a meter maid on 74th St, 82nd St & Northern, the double park cars on those streets are a real problem.

They should also start a residential  parking sticker program and restrict non residential parking to one hour.

I completely agree with you that double parking is a problem.  The thing is--I'm so afraid to leave my car like that for even a minute because I'm sure it will be ticketed/towed in a minute.. I don't know how people have the nerve to just block off the road and other people like that!  As far as I can see, they NEVER get tickets, while the rest of us just trying to find a place to park on the side of the road so that we can get home end up paying fines when we're too close to the end of the road, parked along a parade route, etc..

They do the residential parking thing in Hoboken, and while it mystifies me, it sounds like a good idea for those of us who actually live here.  I think residents can also purchase temporary parking passes for visiting friends.  How does something like that start up?