Motorists throughout Queens and the other four boroughs last week received a five-minute reprieve on some parking tickets.
A new law passed last year, despite objections by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, gives car owners a five-minute grace period to feed meters or move their vehicles to comply with alternate side parking regulations before traffic agents can write tickets for the offenses.
The City Council overruled Bloomberg’s veto of the bill, passing the legislation by an overwhelming margin.
City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. spearheaded the measure in response to complaints received by his office about predatory NYPD Traffic Agents who swooped down on meters that were about to expire and camped out in city cars to ticket vehicles that violated alternate side regulations. Complainants said the traffic agents were writing tickets just seconds and minutes after the offenses kicked in, ignoring motorists who arrived a minute or so late to feed a meter or move their vehicles.
Under the new law, ticket agents must give motorists a five-minute grace period to feed meters or move their vehicles before they can issue summonses.