Yonkers parking restrictions at meters will now be enforced between the hours of 10am-6pm, and alternative side of the street parking regulations will remain suspended. The changes were made as part of a compromise between Mayor Mike Spano and members of the Yonkers City Council.
Some members of the City Council, and the public, wanted the city to completely stop enforcing metered parking. But the reality of doing that, which would have added to the City’s financials woes (a $13 million loss). And the remaining merchants who are open for business want their customers to park and then leave every half hour, so that the next customer can park.
The compromise solution has meters in enforcement from 10am-6pm. “We continue to adjust to the effects of COVID-19, which includes addressing the possible hardships parking meters may impose,” said Mayor Spano. “Shortening the hours of the street meters is a way to provide some relief to our residents without compromising local businesses. As always, I encourage residents who need to park for extended hours to please use the garages or lots.”
The City Council recently voted 5-2, to call on the City of Yonkers to suspend parking meters. In efforts to help residents who are staying home during this crisis that live in areas with parking meters, the Majority Caucus has voted in favor of urging the City of Yonkers to suspend parking meters. Reducing the parking meter hours has become a compromise to make sure that businesses and residents are taken care of.
“I want to thank Mayor Mike Spano for making strides to accommodate the community on this citywide issue. We may not have gotten parking meters suspended completely, but I worked tirelessly to come to a compromise to make sure that the residents get some form of relief. If PAUSE is extended beyond May 15th, I am confident that this new meter regulation will abide accordingly. I also want to thank the City Council for showing support and allowing me to take the lead on this.” said Councilwoman Tasha Diaz.
Assemblyman Nader Sayegh, who continuously advocated for the suspension of parking meters citywide, said, “This decision is a step in the right direction. I encourage the City of Yonkers to ameliorate the economic concerns of our residents and follow in the footsteps of many large cities in New York State and Westchester County by suspending meter enforcement altogether.”
“We’ve heard from the community about how challenging it is to continue feeding meters while simultaneously following our governor’s instructions to stay home. We’ve advocated on their behalf, and I’m happy that we were able to find a middle ground in which parking meter hours will be reduced, thereby providing some relief to residents who live near commercial areas. This is a win for the community, even if it’s not the full meter suspension we were all hoping for. Thank you to Councilwoman Diaz for her constant advocacy and negotiation that helped make this possible.” said Majority Leader Corazon Pineda-Isaac.
Minority Leader Mike Breen said, “The City of Yonkers continues to look for ways to address hardships and create relief for our residents without hurting our local businesses. I thank Mayor Mike Spano for agreeing to this compromise and Councilwoman Tasha Diaz for leading the charge on this issue.”
“Compromise is the key to effective governing. Thankfully, Mayor Spano agreed to change parking meter restrictions around our City while New York is on PAUSE. Also, I want to thank Councilwoman Diaz for taking the lead on this initiative. Job well done!” said Councilman John Rubbo.
Councilman Anthony Merante has also expressed his gratitude, “I commend Mayor Spano for his willingness to adjust the hours of enforcement for the City’s parking meters. It is important that the City continues to provide relief to our residents, whether it be financial or the peace of mind of not having to look for parking as often. I also want to commend Councilwoman Tasha Diaz for her tenacity in seeing this through”.
On-street parking meter enforcement hours are typically from 9AM to 8PM unless otherwise noted on posted signs. For more information on Yonkers Parking Authority locations and regulations, visit www.yonkersparkingauthority.com.
