The City Council voted unanimously yesterday to do away with those despised shame stickers that city Sanitation enforcers slap on cars violating alternate-side street cleaning rules. The stickers were first introduced in the '80s and were inspired by a disgruntled property owner who got fed up with a car blocking his driveway and covered it with stickers. According to the Times, the Sanitation Commissioner noticed it, and soon the department's "scarlet letter stickers" were born. Sanitation insists they help keep the streets clear for the cleaning machines, but the City Council outlawed them anyway. more ›

The fuming over the NYPD's Wednesday ticketing blitz in Williamsburg, despite it being the second day of Passover, continues. The ticketing was especially galling to the community, as just the week before Jewish leaders, the police and local pols had sat down to break bread and pat each other on the back. One community leader, Isaac Abraham, complained to the Post, "We have a lot of respect for the Police Department, but we're looking for just a little sensitivity." more ›

The massive snowverwhelming sure was fun while it lasted, but with the bulk of the snow mountains now whittled down to obstinate snow hills, the Man says it's time to move your car so plows can get to the curb—and so that ticket agents can write up those who still can't get it out. On Monday, after a two week hiatus, the alternate-side parking rules were in full effect, and traffic cops were out with a vengeance. 9,910 tickets were written citywide, almost double the average 5,460 alternate side violations issued on a typical day! more ›

A tractor trailer filled with waste has finally been removed from a residential street in Jamaica, after sitting there and smelling up the block for over three weeks. Residents told NY1 they had been shuffled between 311, 911 and the local precinct with regards to getting rid of the truck, which had been parked on a street with alternate side parking rules. One resident had previously complained, "It smells like a dead body. It reeks." Another said, "It smells like a very stinky fish." It was worse than that time the raccoon got in the copier! more ›

Just five more minutes, Dad! protested NYC drivers sick of expensive fines during street cleaning, and starting today they’ll have time to hit snooze. A new law gives vehicle owners a 300-second grace period during alternate side parking hours or at expired city Muni Meters. Bloomberg warned that the legislation would result in “chaos” as drivers quarreled with meter maids, gesturing at the faces of their watches. But City Council Speaker Christine Quinn fought the mayor and won: "Other cities have this [grace period] and it has not proven to be chaotic," Quinn said, according to the News. "It's a nice and appropriate amount of latitude to give New Yorkers in a place where we all know it's not easy to park." more ›

City Council voted to override Mayor Bloomberg's veto of a bill that will give drivers a five-minute grace period at certain metered parking spots. Last month, Council voted 47-2 to pass the bill, which will prevent ticketing agents from issuing violations until five minutes after alternate side parking regulations take effect and five minutes after MuniMeters run out. Supporters have said the proposal will help eliminate "gotcha" ticketing, while opponents including the Mayor say it will lead to "chaos and enormous increases in the number of contested tickets." more ›

Mayor Bloomberg is turning his attention to constituents in areas that have a history of being sweet on him in hopes of reigniting the flame as he heads into his newly found reelection year. The Post thinks that catering to areas that strongly supported him in the last election might be the motivation behind some recent moves to provide transit-related relief around town. The paper points out that Staten Island, a Bloomberg stronghold, would be one of the areas benefited most by his successful push to lower the fare hike for express bus riders. Another neighborhood that heavily relies on those buses is Riverdale, one of the few Bronx neighborhoods he won while running against Fernando Ferrer in 2005. The city has just placated many of its residents by cutting in half the number of alternate side parking days they have to deal with due to street cleaning. Supposedly up next to receive similar reductions of both regulation and its accompanying frustration for local drivers are other Bloomberg-friendly neighborhoods such as Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene and Boerum Hill. Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause, New York told the Post, "He needs to be sure people aren't angry at city government in this current economic climate with an election upcoming. He doesn't want to tick people off." more ›