By Gus Saltonstall
Those familiar with Columbus Avenue in the low 80s are well aware of the double-parked cars that add to the street congestion in the area. It turns out the preponderance of double parking is tied to the location of the NYPD’s 20th Precinct on West 82nd Street between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues.
“All of those [double-parked] vehicles are personal vehicles of the officers assigned here,” the 20th Precinct’s traffic sergeant told Community Board 7 at a Transportation Committee meeting last week. “As you guys are well aware, parking around the precinct is very limited. Unfortunately, we have an influx of officers with limited parking space.
“We try to talk to officers, they most often move their vehicles,” the sergeant added. “But it’s simple. It’s us’.”
Members of the board mentioned that the stretch of Columbus Avenue is sometimes reduced to just one moving lane as trucks also need to park adjacent to the dozens of businesses within the blocks from 81st to 83rd.
The sergeant pointed to outdoor dining sheds, trucks, and residents parking in police designated spots as reasons for the jump in double-parked officer’s vehicles.
“I know this is a hot topic, but If some of these outdoor dining sheds could be taken down, we could open up some more parking, some more space for trucks to discharge their equipment,” the sergeant said. There is one outdoor dining shed along the avenue on the west side of 82nd Street and Columbus, and one on the 20th Precinct block itself.
A Department of Transportation (DOT) map shows nine parking spots designated for 20th Precinct officers, the majority of which run west to east along 82nd Street. None of them are on Columbus Avenue from north to south.The sergeant explained that the nine dedicated spots do not equate to single parking spaces, and the officers are allowed to park within a radius of those designations.
“While it is nice and we’re grateful that those spots are saved for us, it can’t hold personnel,” the sergeant said.
The suggestion from a board member that officers park slightly farther from the precinct was quickly shot down. “That is not a risk we’d be willing to take,” the sergeant explained, while pointing to examples of people damaging police vehicles that have NYPD plaques.
Nicole Paynter of the Columbus Amsterdam Business Improvement District was the next to offer a possible solution for the overcrowding of vehicles.
“Why does everybody need to drive in? Can they take public transportation?” she asked.
“I can’t tell all the officers they need to take mass transit,” the sergeant responded. “I’m sure just like you, everybody has a family, some have childcare issues that after work they have to drive and pick up their children, so I can’t say why they’re all driving into work.”
As shown by data presented during the meeting, many of the officers that work in the 20th precinct live in upstate New York or Long Island, while 53 percent live in the five boroughs.
“I would give them [officers] the best directions for mass transit,” one Community Board 7 member said with a smile.
To make the congestion situation worse around Columbus Avenue and West 82nd Street, 20th Precinct officers have to store vehicles that are seized as part of investigations in the surrounding area. Those vehicles, sometimes with broken widows and dents, remain for extended periods because the precinct is only able to send two vehicles a month to the NYPD car pound.
One board member suggested being more aggressive with handing out tickets and towing cars or trucks that are double parked or parked in police designated spots.
The sergeant added that it would go a long way if the DOT was able to dedicate several spaces along Columbus Avenue exclusively for trucks to load and unload supplies.
The discussion ended with CB 7 saying they would look into getting more dedicated personal parking spaces for the 20th Precinct officers.
You can watch the full discussion below.
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“laws are for you not us”
I’m surprised that anyone commuting by car to NYC would EXPECT to have free parking right next to their place of work. If no spots are available on a given day, there are plenty of secure garages in the neighborhood.
Lots of people take the train or even the subway to work. Why do police officers have to bring their personal cars into the city? I certainly hope they will not be exempted from the congestion charge. I respect the police, but if they choose to live outside the city, they should expect to take public transport or car their car like other commuters do.
Even if an NYPD officer wanted to live on the UWS where they serve, you can’t live comfortably on an NYPD salary. In fact Long Island police officers make much more money than NYPD officers with less headache. I’m sure anyone in the 20th precinct who lives in Nassau or Suffolk would rather stay there, make more money and hate on NYC from the comfort of their own home.
You can most definitely live here on a cop salary. Especially after overtime, cops make a hell of a lot more than I do as a teacher. But cops are not allowed to live in the precinct in which they live, so that’s not an issue.
The UWS has two police precincts. You can work in one and live in the other. The amount you’d spend on rent for a 2 bedroom on the UWS is equivalent to a mortgage on Long Island. But when your pet peeve is leaving Manhattan or socially acceptable Brooklyn, everything is easy to say.
Absolutely – it would be better if we had local police who actually lived in the neighborhood instead of driving in/out from Long Island every day.
Are you willing to pay them more than what they would make as cops on Long Island to make that possible UWS Dad? NYPD cops make less money and many former NYPD officers join Nassau and Suffolk County police or local town or village cops. At one time the City of Long Beach police commissioner Michael Tangeny made more money than the NYPD commissioner to manage a force of 80 officers versus 37,000 for the NYPD (and collected a salary as acting Long Beach city manager).
This seems to completely overlook the fact that they are breaking the law. These are all good questions, but should it mean that they get to choose which laws to follow?
And more importantly – that many other “essential” professions such as EMTs, nurses, and schoolteachers do not have free parking on the UWS and show up for work regardless.
Yes teachers do get free parking. Look at all the school day spots.
Good for the sergeant for standing up for his cops. First responders are a 24-7 business and some concessions should be made to accommodate their parking. The city administration has not made vehicle traffic and parking any easier by installing bike racks, restaurant shacks and bike and bus lanes. First responders deserve special consideration regarding their transportation needs
“bike racks, restaurant shacks and bike and bus lanes” serve a hell of a lot more people per square foot than a parking space
Parking is a luxury, not a right, in New York.
Ok then living on the UWS is a luxury and not a right, and you’re going to need those pesky outsiders
So is safety. And they risk their lives for us
No, they don’t
Concessions were made, they have nine parking spots designated for them. Give them more spots if they need. Why should city infrastructure (bus lanes, bike lanes) be removed for their commuting preferences?
9 spots! There’s over 200 people that work in that precinct. 9 spots can’t even accommodate a third of the precinct’s fleet.
Read the article. It is not parking for 9 cars, it is 9 *areas of parking*! For officers and staff.
“The sergeant explained that the nine dedicated spots do not equate to single parking spaces, and the officers are allowed to park within a radius of those designations.”
I live on W 83rd, and one of those areas takes up 1/4 the block.
Take a train, folks.
Fine – allocate the spots to the officers who’ve stopped the most bicycles from riding on the sidewalks.
Lol joey, classic cop name
We have the same situation on 100th St. outside the 24th precinct. Private police cars are double parked, sometimes triple parked, and they use the sidewalk to maneuver in and out of their spaces.The official vehicles, private police cars and impounded vehicles are rarely moved for street cleaning, so the street is filthy.
Did I miss the part of the police contract where officers are entitled to park illegally wherever they want near their precinct? Is there a reason they can’t find parking elsewhere or use public transportation like everyone else?
Yes that area is a mess. So many dumped cars, no tires, beat up. Beat up police cars as well. That happens to be a wide street so, traffic is not that bad. But man – it’s like a junkyard there.
The dining sheds need to go. Most of them are disgusting and rat infested. Nearly all Covid financial concessions are over and restaurants are busier than ever. Good bye!
This was an issue before Covid. The sheds are a red herring.
Time to get rid of the restaurant sheds. They have served a purpose. They take up too much valuable space. Commercial parking should be available between hours of 9 am and 4 pm for deliveries. Parking for first responders is a city wide issue. Perhaps garages can be persuaded to offer a discount.
Let me get this straight, the precinct is allocated 9 dedicated spots but they’ve just decided to ignore that and park illegally with their personal vehicles?
Certainly not unique to the Upper West Side……! 100th Street is a fairly wide thoroughfare, which is nearly always deeply constricted to one and one half lanes between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues thanks to the largesse of those noble characters who populate the 24th Precinct.
REALLY? Come on up to the Heights and see what it’s like on Broadway and 184th Street.
“That is not a risk we’d be willing to take,” the sergeant explained, while pointing to examples of people damaging police vehicles that have NYPD plaques.
Isn’t it literally their job to prevent that happening?! Also, next time I can’t find parking close to where I need to be and someone tries to give me a ticket, I’m using the excuse “parking further away is not a risk I’d be willing to take”.
Let me get this straight – it’s a “risk” to park anywhere more than a stones-throw from the precinct? That is total garbage. NYPD personnel parking should be the same as teacher parking.
“I can’t tell all the officers they need to take mass transit,”
Mass Transit is dangerous these days, haven’t the UWSers heard.
Imagine if you had to commute daily to work where these officers live? You wouldn’t do it yourself.
Why they think deserve free parking right on the block is beyond me. They already have reserved parking, a parking lot, and they’ve decided they’re allowed to park on the sidewalk too! Other first responders pay for parking, EMTs, other healthcare workers… The laws are just for the rest of us.
I am OK with NYPD driving in and parking if they need to.
If it was up to me, I’d get rid of bike lanes.
Bicyclists can take the subway or bus.
News flash Most NYPD Cops don’t live in the city. They drive in, drive out. Cops don’t earn enough money to live in the best parts of the city and the smart ones won’t live in DA hood. Keep hating the Police, they will go away.
This is direct from the NYPD website : Note that this does not include overtime, so it is easily imagined a first year officer could clear 75-85k. That is a decent wage. Cops make an incredible amount of money. And your ‘hood’ comment can go right in the trash where in belongs.
Starting salary: $58,580
Salary after 5 ½ years: $121,589.
*Salaries above do not include overtime or night differential. Police Officers with 5½ years of service when night differential and overtime is included, may potentially earn over $126,531 per year.
So Forrest, you make it sound great, when are you signing up? look at all the love being shown the NYPD in the comments, who would not leap at the chance to be treated like crap by most New Yorkers?
$75-85k isn’t enough to qualify for an affordable market rate UWS apartment on your own. $126,531 is barely enough to qualify you for an affordable market rate UWS 1 bed apartment, you can’t raise a family with that salary on the UWS. Let’s assume for one second NYC would pay UWS police officers to live on the UWS plus whatever salary they get, most UWSers wouldn’t appreciate the more conservative turn the neighborhood politics will go. That’s actually the biggest thing NYC liberals and progressives haven’t thought through about an NYC residency requirement for police officers. A lot of NYPD officers live in Southern Brooklyn and eastern Bronx where Democrats Justin Brannan and Marjorie Velazquez both have tough reelection fights and might lose to Republicans.
No one hates the police here – it’s just frustrating they are choosing to ignore the parking laws that they are in charge of enforcing! It’s the very definition of petty corruption. Every other New Yorker including nursers, teachers and EMTs manages make it to work without relying on special parking privileges to park illegally.
Interesting article – nice reporting – thanks.
This seems really easy. He says that residents parking in police dedicated spots is a problem – tow them immediately.
He says that only two cars a month can be taken away. Figure out a way to increase that number.
Provide incentives for those who reasonably can take public transit to work to do so. This will also help the MTA because having off-duty cops on the subways and buses will help safety there as well.
There are new laws that will likely make some dining sheds go away. But this is unlikely to directly help police officers.
Provide incentives for businesses to do deliveries at off-peak hours, such as overnight. This is not realistic for everyone, but if it gets some percentage of trucks off the roads during the day, it will help. If the noise bothers you, move to Montana.
And police wonder why there is so much hostility generated toward them. Their sense of entitlement and separation from the rest of us is virtually boundless.
Born and raised on the UWS and I don’t drive….
Definitely support the NYPD – they need to be able to park
They claim to be just like the rest of us….
“I can’t tell all the officers they need to take mass transit,” the sergeant responded. “I’m sure just like you, everybody has a family, some have childcare issues that after work they have to drive and pick up their children, so I can’t say why they’re all driving into work.”
but they want special privileges. I say let them live by the same rules that apply to us.K
All of us have reasons to drive to work but we cannot. Why are the police given the privilege to drive to work and have free parking.
I know people like to complain about the police cars parked on the sidewalk outside the precinct, but I walk by every day and it doesn’t bother me as there’s always plenty of room to pass. Double-parking on Columbus is a fact of life – it’s basically a one-lane road at this point and everyone knows to drive in the center lane.
Why not give them parking on a pier and let them take cross town bus 10 minutes?
“A Department of Transportation (DOT) map shows nine parking spots designated for 20th Precinct officers, the majority of which run west to east along 82nd Street.”
The map shows the number of street signs not spots. The spots are in the raw data of the response from the webpage if you take number of feet and divide by average car length
I don’t care about the cops’ private cars so much as the cars that were in accidents. Columbus Avenue shouldn’t be storage for wrecked cars.
I take issue with Nicole Paynter’s suggestion that officers use public transportation. NYPD officers already get free public transportation on commuter rails and subways and earn less money than police departments outside NYC, if they’re spending money to drive their own car to the UWS, they probably have very good reason to do so. Why doesn’t Nicole use public transportation to get from the UWS to elsewhere where it’s more affordable to live? I’m sure she wouldn’t. It would also be VERY hard to live on the UWS and raise a family on an NYPD officer’s salary.
from the NYPD website:
Salary
Starting salary: $58,580
Salary after 5 ½ years: $121,589.
*Salaries above do not include overtime or night differential. Police Officers with 5½ years of service when night differential and overtime is included, may potentially earn over $126,531 per year.
Additional Benefits
27 Paid vacation days after 6 years of service
Unlimited sick leave with full pay
Selection of medical benefit packages
Prescription, dental, and vision coverage
Annuity fund
Deferred Compensation Plan, 401K and I.R.A.
Optional retirement at one half salary after 22 years of service
Annual $12,000 Variable Supplement Fund (upon retirement)
Excellent promotional opportunities
Now do Nassau county. $126,531 would barely be able to qualify you for a low end UWS 1 bedroom with a landlord like Brusco. You can’t raise a family like that on the UWS.
Geoff
Sure it is a good payment package – but not enough to pay for current West Side rentals or buy condo or coop.
West Side now home to rich people in tech/finance/law etc
And a lot of the lower end 2 or 3 bedrooms on the UWS, the landlords have a strong preference for roommates over families. They’ll rent an apartment to a Columbia student who’s parents are paying the rent over a family any day.
They didn’t seem to bring up SAFETY issues . The police park at most of the fire hydrants up Columbus Ave and its side streets from 81st to 83rd. Also, when delivery trucks park on the opposite side of Columbus, it bottlenecks traffic to one lane and traps/delays emergency responders, like fire trucks, ambulances and even their own cars. All hell breaks loose when the sirens start to blare.
“I’m sure just like you, everybody has a family, some have childcare issues that after work they have to drive and pick up their children, so I can’t say why they’re all driving into work.”
Welcome to the rest of us. Why do NYPD (& FDNY?) get to park for free?
Some NYPD live in NYC, some NYPD live outside such as LI or Rockland County etc.
Some NYPD do take the subway, some NYPD drive.
Reminder that transfers are norm so NYPD commutes change – for example could start at Queens precinct and be living in LI.
Then transferred to Bronx or Manhattan precinct.
Also must factor in long and changing shifts.
The most desirable precinct for those who live on Long Island is the 111th precinct. Officers have days off that rotate, 5 days on and 3 days off and those 5 days on will include weekends. None of the UWS residents or someone like Nicole Paynter will be willing to transfer not only off of the subway to get to LIRR or NJT or Metro-North but to also change at Jamaica or Secaucus daily.
Many of us work outside of Manhattan and have done the reverse commute to NJ or Upstate many times.
Public transit is CHEAPER than driving especially with the discount given to cops by the MTA lines (not just the subway FYI).
This is pure entitlement and the precinct response reeks of it.
Many UWS residents who reverse commute drive. Not nearly enough want to use transit. Public transit is only cheaper than driving when you don’t consider the fact that people who live in more transit starved areas of NYC or outside NYC own a car either way and pay expenses for cars either way. The fact that NYPD officers get free commuter rail, subways and buses and then choose to drive anyways isn’t entitlement, it reflects a reality that those with the privilege to spend a lot of money on the UWS don’t want to think about. They want help from the outer boros and suburbs but worse than children they are to scuttle like rats underground and not be seen nor heard.
Streetsblog ran a “tournament” to identify the worst Police precinct in terms of negatively impacting the community, especially parking. Here’s a link. Some of the precincts are truely horrific.
https://nyc.streetsblog.org/category/special-features/parking-madness-2021
If only the bicycle lobby – Streetsblog/TransAlt etc – would actually seek to get bicyclists particularly Citibikers to follow traffic rules and be mindful of pedestrians.
The 20th precinct is the worst
I seem to remember attending a community board meeting on this subject 40 some years ago – At that time the debate was whether we should take parking spots away from the UWS residents and give them to the police. The police promised that giving them exclusive access to the parking would cure the problem.