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City Worker Cars Still Blocking Fire Hydrants in Bradhurst No-Ticket Zone

By Gustavo Solis | October 1, 2015 1:27pm
 Several vehicles with NYPD placards were parked in front of fire hydrants near Bradhurst Avenue Thursday. Residents say this has been going on for years. 
Parking in Front of Hydrants
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HARLEM — The no-ticket zone is still active.

A week after the NYPD said they would go after vehicles blocking fire hydrants and “ensure the condition is corrected,” several vehicles still blocked hydrants on Bradhurst Avenue.

Seven out of eight fire hydrants on 146th through 149th streets between Bradhurst and Eighth avenues were blocked Thursday morning. Three of the vehicles had NYPD placards, one had an FDNY placard, and three did not have any placard.

“There has been no change,” said Nat Antman, who lives on 146th Street.

According to the city, stopping, standing or parking closer than 15 feet of a fire hydrant between sunrise and sunset is a $115 fine. A vehicle may stand alongside a hydrant as long as the driver remains behind the wheel, which was not the case Thursday morning.

The no-ticket zone also extends to street cleaning, which happens Monday ant Thursday between 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.

On Thursday every spot on Bradhurst Avenue between 145th and 150th streets was occupied. None of them had a ticket.

About 9:40 a.m. a street sweeper drove by but could not clean the side of the streets because of the rows of parked cars.

Residents said the influx of apartment buildings in the neighborhood have created a nightmarish parking situation. 

"You have a neighborhood that has grown by population in the past 10 years with new buildings, same old services and no plan for the future," said Wendy Frank, who lives nearby the Police Service Area 6 on Eight Avenue and 147th Street.

When contacted about the situation last week, the NYPD issued the following statement:

“Enforcement will be taken on any illegally parked vehicles as well as unauthorized placarded vehicles in the area. We will continue to monitor the situation to ensure the condition is corrected.”

They did not respond to questions about why no vehicles were ticketed Thursday morning.

The Department of Sanitation said they work closely with the police to keep the area clean and dispatch additional manpower when needed.

The FDNY said last week they would look into the blocked hydrants but never responded to the inquiry.

They did not respond to a follow up inquiry, which included a photo of a white BMW with FDNY placard blocking a hydrant Thursday morning.