Gentile Proposes Painting Hydrant & Bus Zones Red To Prevent “Gotcha” Tickets

Councilman Vincent Gentile plans to introduce a bill which requires the curbs near bus and fire hydrant zones to be clearly marked with red paint in order to help prevent ticketing.

Drivers face a $115 ticket for parking within 15 feet of a hydrant, or between a bus stop sign and the next parking sign on the block. Frequently, drivers are issued parking violations, despite the fact that there is no clear marking to show them where exactly the prohibited space ends.

“It becomes a guessing game for the motorist that results in a ‘gotcha’ type of ticket,” Gentile said.

While law clearly defines these zones, they are not always known to the public nor are they always easily discerned when the zone is not painted on the curb.

“Naturally, nobody wants to block a fire hydrant but without any markings, unless you’ve got a ruler handy, you have no choice but to estimate how far you are from the hydrant. You guess, and many times you still get a summons!” said the councilman.

The new law would clearly define “No Parking” zones in bus stops and in front of fire hydrants. With red paint as a marker, “there would be no question as to whether you’re in a prohibited zone or you’re not,” Gentile concluded.

A similar bill was proposed by Councilman David Greenfield several years ago, along with several other pieces of fire hydrant legislation, but it never went anywhere.

Gentile has yet to determine how much it would cost the city to paint thousands of curbs red.

A spokesman for the Department of Transportation, which would have to fund the paint jobs, told the Daily News the agency would review the measure.