Cars parked on the sidewalk spark Gowanus complaint

January 22, 2019 By Raanan Geberer Brooklyn Daily Eagle

A car parked on Sackett Street. Photo courtesy of Katia Kelly, Pardon Me For Asking

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Cars parked on the sidewalk are a frequent complaint for some Gowanus residents.

A contributor to Pardon Me for Asking using the pseudonym J. Moccasin Walker recently counted 24 cars and trucks parked on the sidewalk at the same time on Union Street between Nevins Street and Fourth Avenue. “While there are a few technical exceptions,” he wrote, “drivers are not allowed to park, stop or stand on any sidewalk in New York.”

Parking on sidewalks, Walker continues, reduces space for pedestrians and could force some people into the street to avoid the parked cars. “One of these days,” he wrote, “a mom with young kids will step out onto the street to pass a parked car. A big truck will be speeding by, and suddenly there’ll be a tragedy.”

To accompany Walker’s op-ed, Pardon Me for Asking posted photos of cars parked on sidewalks on the east side of Nevins Street opposite the Douglass and DeGraw Pool, on Sackett Street west of Third Avenue, on Fourth Avenue looking north toward Douglass Street and at other neighborhood locations.

People commenting on the article had varied opinions on whether the police are helpful or not in combating this situation. One anonymous contributor said that the proliferation of bike lanes, extended sidewalks and dedicated parking for rental cars have limited parking spaces and “forced people to park illegally.”