NYC’s on-street carshare parking program to expand citywide

The city’s Department of Transportation is expanding its on-street carshare program after the pilot had “encouraging results,” officials said.

The first 80 new curbside parking spaces reserved for carshare programs will be installed in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx starting Tuesday, with the goal of installing hundreds more this year. The city already has 230 curbside carshare parking locations that were installed as part of the pilot program that began in 2018.

The DOT deemed the pilot program a success in its announcement on Tuesday, reporting that it reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 7%, and vehicle miles traveled 6%. According to the agency, research done through customer surveys determined that for every one car shared vehicle, four personal vehicles were either not purchased or sold.

Carshare users took about 160,000 trips during the length of the pilot, with an average of 24 trips per month, per space, the DOT said.

“We now have the proof that convenient access to carshare frees New Yorkers from the burden of car ownership – while helping to fight climate change,” said DOT Commissioner Rodriguez in a statement. “Soon more New Yorkers will have access to a vehicle when required – no need to sign an expensive lease or to fret about finding a parking space.”

The pilot launched five years ago aimed for 300 parking spaces, so the first 80 spots will bring the program to its original goal. The DOT shared a list of the spots will be installed in the coming weeks.

Those in Pelham Bay and Westchester Square sections of The Bronx and Bay Ridge, and Bushwick, Brownsville, and Sunset Park, in Brooklyn will be placed this week. Spots in Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Long Island City, and Woodside, Queens will be put in place next week.

“The street is a public use and that’s why we are repurposing curbside space for a better use that is good for the environment and good for our whole city,” Rodriguez said.