You have a better chance of finding a needle in a haystack than getting a parking spot at the Eltingville Transit Center after 8 a.m. on weekdays.
"It's nearly impossible. That's why you see many people creating spots like I did," said Krystina Candelaria.
Candelaria parked on the curb at the lot. And she's not alone. We spotted dozens of cars parked illegally.
There are 377 spots at this park and ride. But many still say it's not enough because the parking situation has become much worse in recent years.
"It's horrible. Summertime is the only time you get parking. All the way down there," said one commuter.
We walked around the entire parking lot and found that most cars had plates from New York. There was only a handful of vehicles that had plates from New Jersey. Still, the local city councilman here on the south shore wants those drivers to pay to park at the lot.
"Wherever you go in New Jersey, most towns have paid lots and they charge separate fees for both residents and non residents of either the county or town who operates it. So we are not asking New Jersey residents to pay something that they are not already doing themselves." said Councilman Joe Borelli.
Borelli is tackling the issue on the city level. Meanwhile, State Assemblyman Ron Castorina tells us he is also working on a bill that would require people who don't live on Staten Island to pay for parking.
Ralph Tekada, a New Jersey resident, says he wouldn't mind paying.
"I think it's OK. You come from another place. You charge $2," said Tekada.
Castorina also tells us the State Department of Transportation, which owns the property, has a plan in place to expand the transit hub. He is asking the agency to share it with the public. NY1 is awaiting comment from DOT.