New York City is set to reintroduce "shame stickers" for drivers who violate alternate side parking regulations, marking their return after more than a decade. The City Council approved Intro-92 on Tuesday with a 41-10 vote, allowing street sweepers to once again place fluorescent stickers on the driver's side window of vehicles found disregarding parking rules.
The stickers, which measure 8.5 by 11 inches, state: "This vehicle violates NYC parking regulations. As a result, this street could not be properly cleaned." The legislation aims to repeal a 2011 ban that prohibited the practice, which was implemented due to complaints about the stickers' adhesive being difficult to remove and potentially damaging to windows.
City Councilwoman Gale Brewer, a sponsor of the bill, emphasized the necessity of the stickers for effective street cleaning. "Street cleaning only works when cars move," she stated. Alternate side parking regulations require motorists to move their vehicles for approximately 90 minutes, once or twice a week, to allow for street cleaning.
According to sanitation department figures from 2011 cited in a City Council committee report, street cleanliness ratings averaged 94 out of 100 after the stickers were used for enforcement, a significant increase from the previous average of 73. Brewer noted that an estimated 500,000 scofflaws are cited weekly, with approximately 3,000 miles of city streets unable to be cleaned.
During a hearing for the rule change, then-Sanitation Commissioner Javier Lojan described the stickers as "the most effective things that we can do to deter vehicles not moving for alternate side parking." The bill now awaits the mayor's signature.
Despite the council's decision, some residents expressed dissatisfaction. Delivery driver Lucian Coard called the stickers "an overreach," citing difficulties in removing them and their potential to damage windows. IT technician Eric Dillard also described the stickers as "annoying" and a "pain in the butt" to remove, suggesting that while they might incentivize some drivers, they won't deter everyone.
Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson applauded the council's decision, calling the previous prohibition a "grave mistake." He added that the department will test new adhesive technologies to mitigate damage to vehicles. "Our goal is neither writing summonses nor using stickers," Anderson said. "We want people to simply comply with the law, so we can clean streets across New York City."