Slice Teacher Parking Placards But Will Hold Same Number of Spots

The city is drastically reducing the number of parking permits given to education employees, from the current level of 63,390 to only 11,150 by Oct. 1.

RANDI WEINGARTEN: Cut not as unkind as it seems.

United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said the 82-percent cut in permits was not as severe as it looked because the number of parking spaces for Teachers was not being reduced.

'Never Enough Parking'

"Teacher parking has always been a problem in New York City ... there has never been enough," said Ms. Weingarten. "In the past, the Department of Education has sought to address this problem by increasing the number of permits without increasing the number of actual spots. This has created problems for neighborhoods and educators." The number of parking spots available exclusively for Teachers remains intact, with 10,007 reserved spaces around schools.

"The agreement the UFT reached with the city continues the number of available spots and more closely aligns the number of placards with the number of spots," she stated. "And it brings the decision on who gets the spot to the school level where it belongs and presents an opportunity for an ultimate increase in the number of spots."

Under the new system, on-street parking spots will be assigned to schools, with at least 1,000 additional placards being issued for Teachers whose work requires them to visit multiple sites. These placards are being distributed to the DOE, which will then distribute them as the Chancellor's Office sees fit. The DOE also has 15,060 off-street parking spots, which are unaffected by the new plans. More parking space can be applied for if a Principal or UFT chapter leader thinks it is needed.

In a letter to the UFT, Deputy Mayor for Operations Edward Skyler said that the new parking program was "part of our efforts to reduce traffic congestion, decrease the city's carbon footprint, and encourage the use of public transportation."