If you rented a Lamborghini in Manhattan, where would you keep it? The short answer is a licensed garage. Don’t be tempted to park a rented Lamborghini on the street. Despite movie stories, the Big Apple streets are not big enough, especially with the rise of bike lanes. Reading parking signs is hard enough when the rules change every few blocks, or just stop making sense at all. Get the ticket, then get the tow, then get the bill.
Fewer Spots
Drivers could soon find less parking in neighborhood streets. City Council introduced legislation to ban parking or standing within 20 feet of any crosswalk, marked or unmarked. Daylighting in New York City could mean 3-hundred-thousand fewer spots, according to one report. Do the math.
Take out just one or two cars from each corner, and you have a whole new look. In exchange, it would be easier to see pedestrians crossing the street, and corners would be easier to monitor.
If the City Council passes a bill, New York City could soon install barriers in the street at a minimum of 1,000 intersections. Your parking spot next to the corner may become a city bench, planter, or bike rack. In return, it would be harder to find parking anywhere else nearby. Bad habits take hold, like circling around a block waiting for a spot, or double parking until a driver comes back. Even if drivers and police are feeling each other out at first, writing a ticket becomes a faster process when the air is clear.
It may seem that every day you go looking for a parking spot, a few more have disappeared. Not every day, but every month, year after year, New York City is chasing new goals for more bus lanes, protected bike lanes, and redesigned intersections. The spot you scored by the corner on last trip may now be a protected bus lane or loading zone, so it pays to take another look around.
Get lucky enough with parking, and you get comfortable with your go-to spot. For a long time, parking on the corners was something more people got away with than got punished for. Tickets and towing are unwelcome surprises, but the real cost is uncertainty. It’s driving around in circles looking for spots that may or may not be safe; it’s feeling stress on dates and even on vacation.
Holiday Street Cleaning Suspension
Street cleaning suspended is not street parking rules suspended. During a holiday suspension, no standing signs are still active. Fire hydrant rules are not relaxed during a holiday street cleaning suspension. Parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant is always illegal.
One sign covers a whole block, so take time to read each one completely. Locals get into trouble for reading only half of the sign on their own block. The rest of the signs still count, so drivers should pay attention to them on days when they thought they got a break. Otherwise, it’s $185 plus the storage to get back a car.
Put Your City Rental in a Garage
With the garage, drivers make only one decision, and the outcome is more predictable. You park, you leave, and that is that. The street is unmanaged storage. The space is subject to sun and weather, plus the wear and tear of life on the street.
Any garage charging the public to store 5+ cars needs a license issued by the DCWP. Check before you park. The DCWP website lists all. You can see the garage’s name, address, license number, capacity, and hours posted on the entrance sign. If not, steer away, then steer somewhere else.
If you don’t want a surprise when you check out, look for these other signs next to the license. A full garage must post a Capacity Full sign, with letters 6 inches tall. Any rate hike must be posted 60 days in advance. Changes get filed with DCWP.
If a rented Lamborghini, for example, comes out of storage with a fresh scrape, the driver should know they are entitled to a reply beyond sorry, you signed it. A state law says a garage can’t disclaim its own or its staff’s negligence. They may want you to sign a waiver saying they won’t pay. But that is not allowed. If your garage offers to store your car but refuses to accept its own fault, look for another one.
Still, a garage may cap theft or fire liability at a stated amount, at least $25,000 per car. Read your bill for the cap on coverage against fire or theft. Ask before you park. Tell them you don’t mind paying a bit more to cover yourself.
Manhattan garage taxes reach 18.375% combined. The residential exemption for a lower rate? Never applies to a rental car.
But a bit of planning can cut the hassle. Take time to compare a few garages. One that is a bit farther from where you are going, but close to a subway line, may work out better in the end. Drive, park, ride. When it comes to a rental, and you are here for awhile, it may be worthwhile to look for a garage that charges per week and is accessible by subway.
When you park a rental in NYC, allow yourself some time, then allow yourself a bit more. You can check NYC DOT street cleaning suspension days for upcoming holidays and snow. Or else you can also call the city help line at 311 to check out what is planned.
New York City policy is to reclaim the curb to save lives, not just for on-street parking. Parking on the street is no longer the default option, if it ever was, especially for a Lamborghini. Put your city rental in a garage, then have the garage deal with parking woes. But do check with DCWP first. If it’s not on the list, that is not where you should park a Lamborghini.
