NYC considers losing 300,000 parking spaces for safety initiative

New York City could lose 10% of its open parking spots across the five boroughs if City Council approves a controversial street design bill.

The proposed law bans vehicles from parking within 20 feet of crosswalks. This safety practice, known as “daylighting,” is meant to improve visibility for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

The measure also requires the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) to install physical barriers like planters and bike racks to further “harden” intersections.

Supporters of the bill argue it will save lives by reducing fatal traffic crashes. There were 119 pedestrian deaths in the city in 2024, an 18% increase from the previous year.

“Universal daylighting and hardening at intersections will keep all New Yorkers safe whether they are driving, walking or biking,” said Julie Won, bill sponsor and City Council member from Queens. “The city must make our streets safer for everyone who uses them.”

If passed, the policy brings New York City into compliance with existing state law that bans parking within 20 feet of intersections. It would apply to almost 14,000 signaled intersections across the city.

The legislation would also eliminate a projected 300,000 parking spaces, drawing criticism from city leaders whose constituents rely on cars to commute.

It also faces strong opposition from NYC DOT. Agency officials argue daylighting could be expensive without actually improving road safety.

“If this unhardened daylighting were implemented citywide, we think we could expect an increase of up to 15,000 injuries in a year,” said Eric Beaton, NYC DOT’s deputy commissioner of transportation planning and management. “In theory we would support hardened daylighting at all corners, but that would cost in the neighborhood of $3 billion dollars, and would cover large numbers of locations without a history of injuries.”

NYC DOT is already implementing hardened daylighting at high-crash intersections.

It is unclear when New York City Council will vote on the bill. The policy has a member majority of 27 sponsors.

A spokesperson for Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said the bill is moving through the legislative process, “which is deliberative and allows for thorough public engagement and input.”

Sources: amNY, City & State New York