New York City's Department of Sanitation and the NYPD's new alternate side parking (ASP) pilot program experienced a rocky start in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, on Monday, with dozens of drivers receiving incorrect tickets and windshield stickers. The program, intended to reduce the frequency of street sweeping enforcement, was marred by a lack of coordination between city agencies.
Drivers in the Prospect Heights neighborhood were surprised to find $65 tickets and neon green "shame" stickers affixed to their vehicles, despite believing they were parked legally under the new, reduced schedule. The pilot program was supposed to cut the requirement for drivers to move their cars for street sweeping from twice a week to once a week. However, parking enforcement officers reportedly had not received adequate notification about the changes.
"This is the age of tech, so there’s no excuse at all for that," said Glenn Sainsbury, whose nephew, Christopher, was among those ticketed. Christopher Sainsbury expressed frustration with the difficulty of removing the green stickers, suggesting they are designed to deter repeat offenses.
The mix-up occurred on the first day of the pilot, which is scheduled to run through September 25. The Department of Sanitation stated that it had notified relevant agencies, including the NYPD and the Finance Department, about the program's commencement. However, sources indicated that only a single notice was issued without confirmation or follow-up, leading to the ticketing errors.
A spokesperson for the NYPD confirmed that the summonses were issued in error and have since been voided. "We will ensure that the Department of Sanitation creates a formal process for notifying the NYPD about any requests for changes to longstanding parking rules," the spokesperson said. The NYPD could not provide the total number of incorrect summonses issued.
City Councilmember Crystal Hudson's office reported receiving approximately a dozen complaints from constituents regarding the erroneous tickets. Hudson's office has been in contact with the Department of Sanitation, local NYPD precincts, and the NYPD Chief of Traffic to prevent future ticketing errors. The city has assured her office that any tickets issued on non-designated enforcement days will be dismissed.
The pilot program aims to assess whether once-per-week street sweeping is sufficient to maintain neighborhood cleanliness. The intention was to alleviate the burden on drivers who often face issues with double parking due to frequent ASP enforcement.