UPDATE: Greenfield Wins Battle For Those Unfairly Ticketed

Last month we reported on Councilman David Greenfield’s effort to make the city inform drivers 24-hours in advance of temporary parking changes. While Greenfield hasn’t been able to change the law entirely, he has been able to ensure that those unfairly ticketed during construction on 55th Street in Borough Park didn’t have to pay their fines, according to a press release:

The situation began this past December, when the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) began work to repair existing sewer lines and install a new water main, catch basins and manholes along 55^th Street in Borough Park. The contractor hired by the city installed a “No Standing” sign on the block and wrote “6 AM to 6 PM” on it in black marker. Unfortunately, the NYPD and traffic agents ignored the hand-written time stipulation and issued parking tickets to at least 15 residents. After inquiries from Councilman Greenfield, the DDC determined that a sign stating “No Standing 7 AM to 4 PM Monday to Friday” should have been installed at the site, which would have allowed residents to park there each evening once work was complete for the day.

In light of the evidence provided by Councilman Greenfield to DDC on behalf of the residents, the DDC instructed the New York City Department of Finance to dismiss all tickets issued to drivers during the week that work was taking place on that block. This occurred after Councilman Greenfield’s staff compiled all of the relevant information about the construction project and the signage that had been incorrectly posted and then sent a letter of support to the Finance Department on behalf of the drivers to ensure the tickets were dismissed.

Good news for Councilman Greenfield and better news for those who had their bogus tickets torn up. Here’s hoping Greenfield’s crusade to protect drivers from unfair tickets continues unheeded.