The state Senate is proposing the creation of residential parking permits for New York City residents.

The plan would allow residents to get preferential parking in their own neighborhoods over cars coming in from outside the city. The money raised would then be allocated to help fund mass transit.

If the state Senate has its way in the budget, neighborhoods throughout the city could soon offer parking permits for residents.

“This is something that I know a lot neighborhoods in the city have been talking about and encouraging us to think about for many, many years,” Democratic State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris said. “And we are putting it on the table at a time when the MTA is in desperate need of funding.”

What You Need To Know

  • The state Senate one-house budget would allow neighbors to issue parking permits for residents

  • Which neighborhoods adopt those programs would be up to local councilmembers in their districts

  • Governor Hochul and the State Assembly have not agreed to adopt the plan

The Senate estimates the program would raise about $400 million annually for the MTA, charging residents about $30 for a permit.

When she served as Manhattan Borough President, Gale Brewer held a hearing and commissioned a study on the issue.

It concluded that similar parking permit programs have worked in some cities, but not in others.

There are neighborhoods in the city now where cars from out-of-town take up too many spots.

In Washington Heights, as an example, people from New Jersey come across the bridge, park and take the subway downtown to go to work. And that’s really problematic for the people who live in Washington Heights,” Brewer, who now represents the Upper West Side in the City Council, said. “Same thing in Queens. You have a lot of people coming in from the island. They park for free and then they take the subway to work. Every neighborhood is different. I think a discussion needs to be had.”

Under the proposal, the City Council would be charged with determining which neighborhoods in their districts should adopt permitted parking. It’s unclear if the State Assembly and the City Council would be on board with the plan.

This is completely at the option of the city government. If they don’t like it, they don’t have to do it,” Gianaris said. “But we are giving them the option to move forward and implement this if they so choose.”

Another concern here is that people parking and taking the subway will get much worse when congestion pricing goes into effect. Congestion pricing would charge vehicles a fee to go below 60th street in manhattan.