Community members took Borough President Eric Adams to task last night at Brooklyn Borough Hall over perceived inaction on placard abuses.
The misuse and abuse of placards, city-issued parking permits, is a major source of frustration for community members. Attendees of last night’s meeting chastised Adams for his apathy. He, however, could not be menaced, pointing out that he is the only borough president in history to possess a MetroCard.
“All my citywide people that talk about breaking car culture? I never see them on the train with me,” said Adams. “I don’t have a problem swiping my MetroCard. I’m willing to do that, and I don’t have a problem riding my bike to my place of employment.”
Employees of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), Department of Transportation (DOT), and Department of Education (DOE) receive placards. Non-profit organizations, people with disabilities, and members of the clergy also receive placards.
Last night’s attendees complained about the patent dangers of placard corruption and the culture of lawlessness it creates.
“Right now placards are a professional courtesy for people who believe they are public servants or are contributing to the city. They get a perk for doing this. They park wherever they want. They park on crosswalks making it so that handicapped people cannot cross the street. They park on sidewalks making it so that handicapped people cannot use the sidewalk… these people think they are above the law,” said Dyker Heights resident Brian Howard-Fogol.
Adams said he supported several City Council legislative proposals including the creation of a singular application for parking permits, requirement of NYPD traffic agents to conduct at least 50 “targeted enforcement sweeps” per week, and requirement of the City’s 311 system to accept complaints related to illegal parking and placard abuse.
Said proposals were presented during the meeting yet community members were not convinced. Fruitless community action has engendered weariness.
“I’m willing to invest my time in making the system work but people are already being paid to make the system work,” said another resident attendee. “I’m asking them to be doing something they already should be doing. I don’t believe that part of my job as a resident is to support traffic laws.”
“I’m sick of the finger-pointing. We’re all here spending our time doing everything we can,” said a member of Families for Safe Streets. “Yet somehow there’s all this finger-pointing from our elected officials and from police who are supposed to be protecting us but are actually putting our lives in danger because they’re not enforcing laws.”
Adams agreed better enforcement is needed but defended the NYPD, saying the city has become “safer and safer” and that crashes have gone down over the past 25 years.
“I’m the break the car culture elected official,” said Adams. “I believe it. I live it. I don’t just talk about it. I live through it and I’m clear on one thing; we’re not gonna have two standards. I hear the talk ‘lead by example,’ I am leading by example.”
