Thirty-one streets in Bay Ridge are being transformed into drop-off zones to help deter double parking and reduce congestion. Chosen through community input and expert analysis, the dedicated spaces are meant for vehicles expeditiously dropping something off – like groceries or passengers – as part of a City Council mandate to install 500 neighborhood loading zones on residential streets across the city.
“The key word [is] expeditiously,” said Dean Rasinya. “Which basically means you can’t leave your car, you can’t park there, walk into the doctor’s office to drop somebody off and come out again.”
Drivers need to stay with their vehicles while loading or unloading, or they will be subject to a violation, he added.
DOT signs marking “neighborhood loading zones” are blue, with a cartoon character carrying a box and text designating them as such. They’re mostly in effect weekdays between 7:00am and 7:00pm – otherwise serving as regular parking spots.
“The growth of e-commerce deliveries on residential streets and for-hire vehicle trips throughout the city have changed the way New Yorker’s use our curbs,” the city Department of Transportation’s website says. “As demands on the City’s limited amount of curb space continues to grow, trucks, delivery vehicles, and personal vehicles need safe ways to access the curbs while not blocking traffic, including on bus routes or in bike lanes.”
Source: Brownstoner
