You don’t have to wait to pay that muni-meter

New rules go into effect citywide July 1

June 23, 2015 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The city’s new muni-meter rules go into effect July 1. Eagle file photo by Paula Katinas

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If you park your car at any muni-meter in New York City, this has probably happened to you: You get to your destination before the meters have gone into effect for the day and you have to wait patiently, checking your watch or cell phone, as the minutes tick by and the meters start operating so that you can put your money in.

Your wait is about to end.

Councilmember David G. Greenfield (D-Borough Park-Midwood-parts of Bensonhurst) announced that legislation he sponsored to allow drivers to pre-pay the city’s muni-meters one hour before the meter regulations go into effect is now active in much of New York City.

The new rules will be in effect everywhere starting July 1.

Greenfield’s bill forced the city to reprogram all of its muni-meters so that busy New Yorkers may now prepay.

The city council passed Greenfield’s bill on June 13, 2013, but it did not go into effect immediately. Because of the complexities involved, the law gave the city two years from July 1, 2013 to change the muni-meter machines to accept pre-payment.

The city has already re-programmed many muni-meters including those in Borough Park, which Greenfield represents.

“I am thrilled that muni-meters citywide will finally allow you to prepay one hour before the meter rules go into effect,” Greenfield said in a statement. “This is a common-sense law. It saves drivers both time and money. Now, drivers can feed the meters before they go into work or appointments and avoid a parking ticket for no reason.”

Greenfield’s legislation also brings two other changes to muni-meters. It forces meters to shut off and not accept payments on those days when drivers are not required to pay for parking. The new law also ensures that the muni-meters do not accept payments when the meters run out of the paper needed to print muni-meter receipts.

“These two additional improvements will guarantee New Yorkers don’t get ripped off when using muni-meters,” he said. “After all, if you lose a dollar worth of quarters in the meter because it ran out of paper, it’s almost impossible to get the city to give you your money back.”