New York City brings back stickers for cars blocking street cleaning

New York City is set to reinstate a controversial parking enforcement measure, allowing sanitation workers to place "infringement" stickers on vehicles that obstruct street cleaning operations. The City Council approved the legislation, known as Proposition 92, with 41 votes in favor and 10 against. The measure now awaits the signature of Mayor Zohran Mamdani to become law.

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The Proposition 92 corrects a grave error made by the previous City Council and provides us with an additional tool to effectively clean the streets.

These stickers, measuring 8.5x11 inches, were previously used until 2011. Their removal was often difficult, and they sometimes damaged windshields, leading to their ban. The new legislation aims to address persistent problems with improperly parked cars that prevent streets from being cleaned effectively. The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) estimates that nearly 500,000 parking violations occur weekly, rendering approximately 3,000 miles of streets unserviceable for cleaning.

Councilmember Gale Brewer, a proponent of the legislation, stated that street cleaning "only works when cars move." She highlighted the deteriorating conditions, noting that she personally coordinates cleaning efforts with DSNY and police on West 83rd Street. "People have to move their damn car," she exclaimed during the debate, emphasizing the frustration caused by obstructive parking.

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Street cleaning only works when cars move. People have to move their damn car.

DSNY Commissioner Gregory Anderson believes Proposition 92 corrects a "grave error" by the previous council and provides an essential tool for street cleaning. He acknowledged the past issues with sticker removal and promised to test different options to minimize damage. However, some drivers, like delivery worker Lucian Coard, expressed skepticism, calling the previous stickers "an abuse" and predicting the measure won't eliminate illegal parking, stating, "This is New York."

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The sticker was an abuse, the adhesive was very resistant and, to remove it, you had to scrape the windshield. It is possible the measure will reduce the number of illegally parked vehicles, but it will not eliminate them; this is New York.