The City Council of the City of New York has overridden the Mayor’s veto and in a 40-2 decision, reinstated free parking on Sundays in the Big Apple. Read about it here.
If you follow this blog you know all the arguments against free parking, including those stressed by the mayor — loss of revenue, business suffering because spaces are filled, etc etc etc.
There is of course the basic philosophy that people who drive cars should pay for the cost of parking them. That includes surface streets, garages, and surface lots or "fields" are they are called in NYC. Why should the many people who don’t own cars pay for others to park their cars on Sunday?
But this decision, as you can see by the vote, was political. No one likes to pay for parking, and anything a politician can do, right or wrong, to cause a few more votes in their column will happen.
The unerring lack of courage by the NY city council will continue to bring problems to the city. Someone needs to send them Don Shoups book
JVH
