Anyone who has tried to find parking in a busy neighborhood of New York City knows that fighting for a spot sometimes leaves you exhausted before you even get to your destination. This is especially true when you’re using a car-sharing service and the time spent searching for parking leaves you with a hefty amount of added rental time clock and fees. In order to help aid this problem, the New York City Department of Transportation will be testing 300 car-sharing-only parking spaces throughout the city.
In this test pilot program, NYC DOT will designate spaces across the boroughs in municipal parking lots and garages. These spaces will be reserved specifically for the use of car-share companies like Car2Go, Enterprise CarShare, Reach Now, and Zipcar.
This trial program will last about two years and will help decide whether car-sharing-only spots should be implemented permanently in New York City. The spots will be exempt from regular street cleaning rules and car-sharing companies will maintain these parking spots.
Car-sharing is becoming more popular in urban areas where public transportation is not as accessible. Car-sharing helps improve air quality, save money on car ownership, and reduce road congestion. Car-sharing-only parking spots have been tested in many cities across the United States, including Boston, San Francisco, and Seattle.
These exclusive parking spots have been widely successful for both users and non-users. Cities that use these reserved spots can expect to see a reduction in overall traffic and personal rental fees.
New Yorker’s can expect to see this pilot program rolled out this spring and can learn more about how these parking spots may change the future of urban car-sharing here.
Join Enterprise Car-Share and get $20 in free driving credits and first year membership waived ($65 value) or join Zipcar and get $25 in free driving credits.
Next, read out Cuomo Announces All-Electric Bus Pilot Program to Modernize NYC’s Public Transit Fleet.