New Roosevelt Island Parking Meters Installed on West Channel Road - No More Free Parking So Make Sure You Feed The Meter
Those of you who have been parking your vehicles without charge at the recently created 30 new spots (equipped with Streetline's wireless parking sensors) on Roosevelt Island's West Drive
be advised that this free ride has now been changed with the installation of meters and you will be charged for parking your car in these spots. According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. (RIOC):
As a reminder the parking meters are now in full operation on West Drive. Two hour courtesy parking is no longer available. A Muni-Meter ticket will need to be displayed on the (driver's side) dashboard. This area will continue to be enforced.So, if you want to make sure you don't get a parking ticket from Roosevelt Island Public Safety Officers
make sure you feed the meter.
Of course, whether there should be additional parking spots in this location is another question but as long as they are there, they will have to be paid for.
As one reader who does not like the West Channel Parking spots noted:
... Those 30 spots are a very poor use of those areas. A long and beautiful vista is a high price to pay for 30 spots (and the ugly gaps for fire hydrants etc.) and more foot traffic to trample on public lawn and plantings. There are so much more space that can be used north of the steam station (across/south of the Fireman's Field) and all around the back of the hospital facing Queens.A contrary view as well:
Actually the spaces are for short term parking. Sensors are being installed to make sure they are used for that. Also I read here that they want to lower the prices in motorgate to encourage parking there as well. The hardest thing for businesses is having no short term parking. Its a death sentence. Try inviting a family with a car for a bite to eat on RI. Try inviting anyone to this oasis for anything and the RI parking tax at the garage or lack of parking anywhere makes it impossible. You can have a family of 5 park somewhere else and pay a cab or take a subway but that adds 20 bucks either way. As a result you have a ghost town for shops in an already bad economy and current businesses threatened. Also lets remember it was changed to one way for safety reasons as the area near the subway was an accident waiting to happen.