Why are NYC Parking Rates so Complicated?


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Why are NYC Parking Rates so Complicated?

So you pull into a NYC garage and see a 2’ x 3’ board with 10 rows of parking rates. There are rates for 1 hr, 4 hrs, 8 hrs, 12 hrs, 24 hrs, overnight, Early Bird, Weekend, Monthly, O/S, and a few more that also don’t make sense.

Why can’t there just be 3 different rates for half-day, full day, and the weekend?

I hate to tell you, but this rate structure is actually much simpler than 50 years ago, when Elliot Brownstein (photo, right) created the format that we are still using today. Just before the 1964 World’s Fair, Elliot was in the advertising business and heard that NYC wanted to make sure visitors didn’t end up overpaying for parking because the signs were too confusing.

Back then, NYC parking garage rates had this structure:

Up to 1 Hour $.75

2nd Hour $.55

Each additional hour $.35

After 7 hours $.25/hr

It was hard for the garage attendants to add up the different amounts and complicated for people, so Brownstein (also Vice Chairman of the NYC Parking Association), decided to create all new signs and parking rate structures. After dealing with the current Mayor, then a newly elected Mayor, the NYC License Commissioner, and one huge committee, Brownstein single-handedly created and installed new signs in every single parking garage. Whew!

The only changes we’ve seen since then are the new ‘flat rate’ coupon rates that you can get for 6, 12, and 24 hours.

There’s a whole lot more to the story – it is NYC, after all, so check out the full blog post.

If you could create your own parking rates, what would they be?

What’s Elliot doing now? In his 80s, he still works every day as an owner of NYC parking garages and he owns City Valet, a fantastic service where you can hire a qualified driver for your car – for errands, airport pick up and drop off, taking clients around NYC, taking kids to school, or even driving you out to your weekend house.

Our latest blog posts are about San Francisco testing out new ways to change parking meter rates, Sam Schwartz’s latest plan to reduce NYC congestion, and why NYC is the most expensive city for parking.

GREAT MONTHLY PARKING DEALS

	$299 at Riverside Dr @ 120^th St/Claremont (plus tax)
	$225 at 96^th St between 1^st & 2^nd Aves (plus tax)
	$450 Midtown, 57^th St & 3^rd Ave (plus tax)
	$400 Upper East Side, 87^th St between Park & Madison (plus tax)
	$225 (incl tax) at East River & E 23^rd St or East River & E 20^th St. Add $100 for oversized vehicles.

Brooklyn

$250 (plus tax) at 44 State St near Borough Hall 2/3/4/5 and Court St St N/R.

Queens & Long Island City

	$200 (includes tax) at Schermerhorn St near Flatbush Ave. Just two blocks from the 2/3, 4/5 subways.
	$200 plus tax at South Oxford Pl near South Portland Ave & Atlantic Aves. Four blocks to the 2/3, C, B, Q, and 4/5 subways.
	$150 - $250 at Thomson Ave & Northern Blvd, LaGuardia Community College, or 23^rd St near Queensboro Plaza. Long Island City.

Request any of these garages here.

Margot Tohn
Publisher

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