Click here to view the 2002 Alternate Side Parking Regulations Calendar.

The NYC Department of Transportation web site is an excellent resource for information about traffic and parking regulations and transportation schedules. The NYC DOT web site is found at www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/dot/home.html.

Additional Information About Legal Holidays:

On major legal holidays stopping, standing and parking are permitted except in areas where stopping, standing and parking rules are in effect seven days a week (for example, "No Standing Anytime")."

As a result of a new citywide policy, parking signs have been changed to eliminate outdated information. Therefore all signs should be adhered to on every day in every borough. Under the new policy, the city will suspend alternate side parking regulations for both street cleaning purposes and traffic flow on only the 29 religious and legal holidays during the year." -- NYC Department of Transportation. This means that the city has now changed all signs that posted rules for non-existant Wednesday and Saturday street cleanings.

Please note the difference between rules for street cleaning and traffic flow. Street cleaning suspensions only apply if you see the broom sign (as shown at the top of this page). They don't apply in places where parking is not allowed for traffic flow reasons (a no parking sign without the broom sign.) Snow conditions may lead to further suspensions.

In many neighborhoods in New York City, people double park their cars for the duration of street cleaning. This practice has always been technically illegal ("Double parking of passenger vehicles is illegal at all times, including street cleaning days, regardless of location, purpose or duration"--DOT) but it has been an unwritten rule that you can do this. Ticket writers, until recently (see the next paragraph), haven't ticketed the double parked cars for the duration of cleaning. Car owners on the side of the street without cleaning also anticipate that they will be blocked in for the duration of cleaning, and will move their car so they are double parked if they need to use their car during the duration of cleaning. It is good form to leave a piece of paper with your telephone number on the dash, if you are going to block somebody for three hours.

The New York Times reported on October 7, 1999, that as part of the Giuliani administration's new policy of no tolerance for double parking, double parking will no longer be tolerated during the hours of street cleaning in certain neighborhoods. The Upper West Side, on streets adjacent to Broadway, was mentioned in particular as a location where this new policy is in place.

Avoid tickets. Read the signs. Carefully. Start at the top and go down.

Out of towners are reminded that it is illegal to park within 15 feet of either side of a fire hydrant in New York City, although you can probably get away with a slightly shorter distance (but don't blame me if you get a ticket). They are also reminded that all of NYC has been designated a Tow Away Zone. Your parked car may be towed for any reason, even if it is parked legally. If you return to your car and it is missing, don't panic--it may not be stolen. Call the tow pound first (the Manhattan tow pound telephone number is listed below) and if they don't have your car, try the local police precinct. Out of towners are also reminded that cars with license plates from distant states are more likely to be burglarized, so take extra care to not leave any valuables in your car.

Helpful numbers:

Street Cleaning Rules, Community Board Info & Streetlight/Traffic Signal Problems, Potholes: (212) or (718) CALL-DOT (225-5368)

Hotline for TTY Deaf or Hearing-Impaired: (212) 442-9488

Tow Pound: (212) 971-0771

Parking Violations Help Line: (212) 477-4430