New York City has resumed placing large, neon-green "shame stickers" on vehicles that violate alternate side parking regulations. The 8.5 x 11-inch adhesives are intended to alert drivers and highlight the impact of non-compliance on street cleaning efforts.
Manhattan Council Member Gale Brewer championed the return of the stickers by sponsoring legislation that repealed a decade-old ban on the practice. The bill, Intro-92, passed the City Council earlier this summer with a 41-10 vote. Mayor Zohran Mamdani allowed the legislation to take effect without his signature, stating that he "fully supported" the measure and its goal of making the jobs of the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) easier.
"It is critically important that the Sanitation Department be able to conduct street cleaning," Mamdani said during an unrelated press conference. "Whenever I meet the hardworking members of DSNY, the question is always how we can make their jobs easier. If this measure accomplishes that, I fully support it."
The stickers state, "This vehicle violates NYC parking regulations, as a result, this street could not be properly cleaned." Videos shared on social media showed the stickers being applied to vehicles on an Upper West Side street.
This practice was originally banned by the City Council in 2011 due to complaints that the adhesive used on the stickers was difficult to remove and occasionally damaged vehicle windows. The recent vote to reinstate them signifies a renewed effort to enforce parking regulations and facilitate effective street cleaning operations.