New York City Council reforms parking regulations after city collapse

LOWER MANHATTAN (PIX11) — The City Council has changed the way it regulates thousands of parking facilities across the city.

This comes after the disastrous collapse of a garage on Ann Street over a year ago.

Council members Crystal Hudson and Amanda Farias spoke exclusively to PIX11 News at the Ann Street parking garage on Thursday, shortly before the City Council introduced reforms to the way it inspects parking facilities – and, if necessary, imposes fines when safety violations are detected.

“Every day you walk by these facilities and you don’t wonder if something like this could happen,” Farias said, before Hudson continued: “That’s why these bills are so important, because we know that our infrastructure is outdated, but let’s also trust that when we park our cars, go home and walk down the street, the buildings around us won’t collapse.”

Hudson’s bill means auto repair shops will be inspected every four years, not every six. Democratic Majority Leader Farrias’s legislation would double penalties for various security violations.

The third bill would require the Department of Buildings (DOB) to conduct a load-bearing study of all parking garages. The age, materials and design of the structure will be taken into account.

However, to keep up with all the additional inspections, the Department of Defense may need to beef up its staffing. The agency has been eliminating positions in recent years, and the council has pressed the Mayor’s Office to increase staffing. There was a budget debate on this matter recently.

“They claim they can do all the inspections they should and they should do what they have to do,” Hudson said. “But of course, more staff makes a lot of inspections happen faster.”

The council is also working on several infrastructure bills – Farias said he will consider them later this year.