UPPER MANHATTAN — Police declared war on double parking this week — and the results are already showing.
Police from the 34th Precinct officially began the double — and sometimes triple — parking blitz throughout Washington Heights and Inwood on Mon, Dec. 26, according to the commanding officer of the precinct, Deputy Inspector Barry Buzzetti.
The crackdown area stretches the length of Broadway, from West 179th to West 220th streets, and will also include cars double parked outside of the precinct stationhouse on Broadway at 181st Street, Buzzetti said.
Although police have a special permit to park at a right angle to the sidewalk on the street outside of the precinct, the stationhouse hasn't been spared from other drivers double parking near the premises, Buzzetti said.
Increased enforcement throughout the precinct was already evident on Christmas Eve, as police ticketed and ushered out illegally parked cars near business corridors along 181st, Dyckman and 207th streets, which were jammed with last-minute holiday shoppers.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” said Elaine Horovitz, 42, who said she stood in awe Saturday at the lines of cars clogging Broadway outside PJ Wine, where a line of shoppers matched the queue of cars illegally blocking traffic along Broadway.
But by Wednesday, few cars were double parked in areas notoriously known for the problem, and residents in the area said they had seen a difference in the past few days. Two cars were seen double parked on Broadway between 220th Street and 204th Street, with a traffic officer patrolling the area.
DNAinfo observed a double-parked SUV, which sat without a driver, nearly get ticketed, but the driver returned to the vehicle moments before an officer made his way to the car.
"Even the livery cars are gone, and they’re always here," said Inwood resident Simona Peralta, 31, as she stood near the intersection of West 207th Street and Broadway waiting to cross.
Despite the crackdown, not everyone was enthusiastic about the new measure.
Claudio Tavarez, 26, said he works as a messenger for local companies and noted that parking is always a challenge.
"If I can’t park on the street for five minutes, I can’t make my delivery," he said, adding that he sometimes has to circle the block for 30 minutes to find a legal spot.
"And if I can’t get in and out and make that delivery, I’m out my money and job."
