Soap Box

The views and opinions expressed on White Plains Soapbox are solely those written by the correspondents, and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the White Plains CitizeNetReporter, its management or principals.

Apartment Dweller points out "Byzantine" White Plains overnight parking regulations.

The following is a letter to White Plains City Officials from a White Plains Apartment Resident. Other comments on this issue, welcome.

To: Mr. Albert T. Moroni, Executive Director; White Plains Parking Authority
Mr. John P. Larson, Deputy Director; White Plains Parking Authority
The Board of Directors of the White Plains Parking Authority
CC: The Honorable Joseph M. Delfino, Mayor of The City of White Plains

I write this letter regarding undue hardship placed upon apartment dwellers in the City of White Plains, myself in particular.

I have lived in an apartment in White Plains for 4 and a half years. From the day I moved in, I have had nothing but headaches from the parking situation in White Plains. There is a garage in my building, however I have only one spot and we have two cars.

I cannot park my second car on the street since it will be ticketed every night as parking is not permitted between two and six AM. At first I thought this was to allow the streets to be cleaned (as per alternate side of the street parking regulations in NYC), but I have since learned that the street cleaning trucks do their work between 12 and one in the morning (I am aware of this since they wake up my daughters every single night).

I can no longer fathom any reason why parking should be illegal during the night. This really does cause undue hardship to those residents who live in apartment buildings and do not have driveways. It does not make sense that I, a tax paying resident of White Plains, cannot park overnight on the streets outside my own building! Even a nominal fee for a resident sticker to permit overnight street parking would be acceptable (not ideal, but acceptable). The very thought of buying a home in White Plains, on a nice, quite residential street and not being able to park outside my very own home is enough cause for me to rethink plans to settle here permanently!

And so, after paying ticket, after ticket, after ticket I finally succumbed and purchased an overnight parking decal for the municipal lot near my apartment. This would have worked well if not for another inconvenience of White Plains parking regulations. The overnight decals only apply until 8 AM. The meters in the lot operate from midnight to 6 PM, Monday through Saturday. Since I work in White Plains, have only a ten-minute commute to my workplace, and have to be at work at 8:30, I do not leave my home before 8:15 AM. So, after paying $20 a month to avoid an overnight parking ticket, I get an expired meter ticket in the morning for not moving my car before 8 AM. If had been permitted to park on the street overnight, I would not have to worry about the meters until 9 AM since the street meters do not operate until 9 AM! Why can't the overnight parking decal be in effect until 9 AM, like the street meters!?! It seems that someone got confused in defining the end of night and the beginning of day! Is it 8 AM or 9 AM?

I feel like I've been hit both coming and going; a catch 22 if you will. If I park on the street I get an overnight ticket, but can park until 9 AM. If I pay $20 a month to park in the lot and avoid an overnight ticket, I get a ticket for not leaving before 8 AM! To make matters worse, the cost of a ticket recently doubled with no warning!

This is the most frustrating situation I have ever encountered. How much more inconvenient could these parking regulations be? (Don't answer that, please!)

Please look into this situation and perhaps re-address the parking regulations in the vicinity of apartment buildings in White Plains.

I look forward to a hearing from you about this issue.

Thank you for your time and interest in making White Plains a wonderful place to live, where the parking regulations make living here nicer and more pleasant instead of frustrating and annoying.

Sincerely,
Avi Zibitt

	White Plains Soapbox
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	The views and opinions expressed on White Plains Soapbox are solely those written by the correspondents, and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the White Plains CitizeNetReporter, its management or principals.
	Apartment Dweller points out "Byzantine" White Plains overnight parking regulations. The following is a letter to White Plains City Officials from a White Plains Apartment Resident. Other comments on this issue, welcome. To: Mr. Albert T. Moroni, Executive Director; White Plains Parking Authority Mr. John P. Larson, Deputy Director; White Plains Parking Authority The Board of Directors of the White Plains Parking Authority CC: The Honorable Joseph M. Delfino, Mayor of The City of White Plains I write this letter regarding undue hardship placed upon apartment dwellers in the City of White Plains, myself in particular. I have lived in an apartment in White Plains for 4 and a half years. From the day I moved in, I have had nothing but headaches from the parking situation in White Plains. There is a garage in my building, however I have only one spot and we have two cars. I cannot park my second car on the street since it will be ticketed every night as parking is not permitted between two and six AM. At first I thought this was to allow the streets to be cleaned (as per alternate side of the street parking regulations in NYC), but I have since learned that the street cleaning trucks do their work between 12 and one in the morning (I am aware of this since they wake up my daughters every single night). I can no longer fathom any reason why parking should be illegal during the night. This really does cause undue hardship to those residents who live in apartment buildings and do not have driveways. It does not make sense that I, a tax paying resident of White Plains, cannot park overnight on the streets outside my own building! Even a nominal fee for a resident sticker to permit overnight street parking would be acceptable (not ideal, but acceptable). The very thought of buying a home in White Plains, on a nice, quite residential street and not being able to park outside my very own home is enough cause for me to rethink plans to settle here permanently! And so, after paying ticket, after ticket, after ticket I finally succumbed and purchased an overnight parking decal for the municipal lot near my apartment. This would have worked well if not for another inconvenience of White Plains parking regulations. The overnight decals only apply until 8 AM. The meters in the lot operate from midnight to 6 PM, Monday through Saturday. Since I work in White Plains, have only a ten-minute commute to my workplace, and have to be at work at 8:30, I do not leave my home before 8:15 AM. So, after paying $20 a month to avoid an overnight parking ticket, I get an expired meter ticket in the morning for not moving my car before 8 AM. If had been permitted to park on the street overnight, I would not have to worry about the meters until 9 AM since the street meters do not operate until 9 AM! Why can't the overnight parking decal be in effect until 9 AM, like the street meters!?! It seems that someone got confused in defining the end of night and the beginning of day! Is it 8 AM or 9 AM? I feel like I've been hit both coming and going; a catch 22 if you will. If I park on the street I get an overnight ticket, but can park until 9 AM. If I pay $20 a month to park in the lot and avoid an overnight ticket, I get a ticket for not leaving before 8 AM! To make matters worse, the cost of a ticket recently doubled with no warning! This is the most frustrating situation I have ever encountered. How much more inconvenient could these parking regulations be? (Don't answer that, please!) Please look into this situation and perhaps re-address the parking regulations in the vicinity of apartment buildings in White Plains. I look forward to a hearing from you about this issue. Thank you for your time and interest in making White Plains a wonderful place to live, where the parking regulations make living here nicer and more pleasant instead of frustrating and annoying. Sincerely, Avi Zibitt