City Rolls Out New 'No Parking' Zones On UWS: Report

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY —A number of streets along West End Avenue have been turned into "no parking" zones as the city attempts to cut down on double parking on the two-way avenue, according to city officials and reports.

Drivers were surprised to find newly-installed "no parking" signs on West End Avenue from West 79th to 96th streets in recent weeks CBS New York first reported. The new regulation is part the city Department of Transportation's "residential loading zone program" that aims to make curbside deliveries and dropoffs easier by eliminating parking on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., a DOT spokeswoman said.

Many drivers voiced their frustration in interviews with CBS New York, describing the change as the city's latest "attack on drivers." One West End Avenue doorman told the news station that he used to use the curbside spots to park his car while he worked and that tenants in his building have complained to him about the new rules. Others told the news station that double parking was common on the street, and the new program may make the area safer.

But the city says that the new program should actually make curb usage more efficient on West End. Delivery trucks and cabs will no longer be required to double park on the two-way avenue when making stops at West End Avenue's many apartment buildings, city officials said.

"The loading zones will work to provide curb space during daytime and evening hours to allow for the pick-up and drop-off of passengers as well as loading and unloading of goods – helping to more efficiently utilize curb space and reduce the number of double parked cars," DOT spokeswoman Alana Morales said in a statement.

The city added that local community boards and elected officials were notified of the parking changes in advance.

See the full CBS New York report here.