Posted by Larry Berezin on Mon, Apr 05, 2010 @ 08:08 AM
How can I avoid a NYC parking ticket in the "Blue Zone" and 
Garment District?
I'm glad you asked. Both of these parking zones are invisible enemies of the NYC driving public. Why? Because there are no parking signs required to alert you to the parking rules. Let's take a look at the "Blue Zone" first.
"Blue Zone"
No person shall park a vehicle upon any of the streets within the area designated as the 'Blue Zone', Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. except as otherwise posted along the perimeter of and inside the designated area, or when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with law or upon th direction of any law enforcement officer authorized to enforce these rules. "
What are the boundaries of the "Blue Zone?"
- The northern property line of Frankfort Street
- The northern property line of Dover Street
- The eastern property line of South Street
- The western property line of State Street
- The centerline of Broadway
- The centerline of Park Row
You will find a blue line painted parallel to the curb.
Why is there such a cockamamy parking rule?
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, when there was a construction boom in NYC, construction crews parked their vehicles, trucks, vans and cranes along the narrow streets of Wall Street. The parking ticket warriors had a field day issuing parking tickets to the vehicles.
Not to take the expensive sting of the scanners lightly, the crews came up with a solution. They removed all the parking signs, figuring, no sign-no ticket. As quickly as the signs came down, the NYC DOT replaced them.
As the battle raged on between the warriors and construction crews, NYC struck a death blow to the construction gangs. NYC created the "Blue Zone", making parking signs unnecessary. The entire area was declared a No Parking Zone.*
The Garment District
Parking in the garment district is restricted to trucks and vans bearing commercial plates standing a the curb to expeditiously unload and load their vehicles
- Between 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- Daily, including Sundays
- Includes the zone between 35th Street to 41st Street between Avenue of the Americas and 8th Avenue, all inclusive
- In the Borough of Manhattan
- Passenger vehicles or station wagons bearing commercial plates shall not be deemed trucks or vans
Commentary
Knowledge is power. Do not give a warrior a clear shot at your registration by parking in the "Blue Zone" or garment district because you expect to find a parking sign prohibiting parking. These zones are your invisible enemies and expensive ones at that.
Have you learned this expensive lesson? Please share your story. Lessons help all of us.
*[Larry's note-history of "Blue Zone" taken from excellent book entitled, "The New York City Parking Survival Guide," by Louis Camporeale]