Parking Concerns Rise Alongside New Brooklyn Arena

By: Vivian Lee

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The City Council heard arguments Wednesday over whether street parking near the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn should be limited to residents. NY1's Vivian Lee filed the following report.

Trying to get a parking spot around Downtown Brooklyn most of the time is futile, but ask residents and they will say it's nearly impossible.

"It used to be we could always find a spot on our block a few years ago. And now it's pretty rare," said one Park Slope resident.

With the Barclays Arena set to open next September, residents are bracing for even more gridlock. More than 200 events are planned at the arena every year.

"With more people coming, more people working in the area, it's just going to get worse," said one Park Slope resident.

The city's Economic Development Corporation estimates more than 5,000 vehicles will descend on neighborhoods like Prospect Heights and Park Slope with every event.

As a result, the City Council is considering a bill allowing the sale of resident-only parking permits for certain areas on game days, based on the amount of commuter traffic in Downtown Brooklyn and the experiences of neighborhoods near sporting venues like Yankee Stadium.

"Residents literally have to stay up all night to wait for fans to leave in order to get parking spaces," said City Councilwoman Helen Foster.

"Forty-six point eight two percent of those who park their cars in Downtown Brooklyn were residents who lived outside the community," said City Councilwoman Letitia James.

Some store owners who spoke with NY1 say they are worried about the impact on their bottom line.

"The merchants are concerned they will not have the proper foot traffic through their stores," said Paul Palazzo of the Fort Greene Association.

Cities like Boston and Chicago already allow residential parking permits around their sporting venues.

"What it's done is, it has encouraged people to take public transportation," said Danae Oratowski of the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council.

Some City Council members, though, say they are worried it could be a slippery slope, opening the door to new parking fees all over the city. However, some drivers who spoke with NY1 say they would be willing to give it a try.

"I don't know what the cost would be, but would be worth it," said one driver.

The city would need state permission to start charging parking permit fees.

A bill to allow that is already before the legislature.

Downtown Brooklyn sees about 6,000 parked cars per square mile, about three times as many as in downtown Boston.