Introduced on Dec. 5, 2024, Intro 1138-2024, the Universal Daylighting Bill, prohibits standing or parking a vehicle within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.
Unlike other boroughs, Staten Island is a “car borough” because of the lack of adequate transportation and a culture that has been longstanding since the dawn of the automobile. Moreover, the policy will result in over 300,000 parking spaces being removed and the work to make it a reality will be costing upwards of $3 million.
Although Borough President Fossella has vociferously opposed this legislation, even forming an online petition, Councilman Morano has not only supported it but also is listed as a co-sponsor. I stand with the borough president on this fundamental issue because it will adversely affect both the economy and the quality of life for the people of Staten Island.
The quality of life will be adversely affected for individuals who reside in and are visiting Staten Island. Simply stated, this bill is a major inconvenience for residents. Parking on Staten Island is a challenge due to the limited geographic space within our community. Families who live on corner properties will have an even greater difficulty finding parking. Similarly, visitors will have a challenge tantamount to the residents.
The scarcity of parking will lead to increased traffic due to people struggling to find a spot and can even lead to some people physically fighting. Furthermore, this bill will result in a higher cost of living because the City of New York will depend on Staten Island taxpayers to finance it, which will cause more people to move away and become residents of other states. In addition, the economy could be decimated as a result of it. Staten Island is a predominantly “Main Street” economy. Most businesses on Staten Island are street-level storefront “mom-and-pop” venues. The scarcity of parking will lead to lost revenue, which will then lead to lost jobs.
Let me also note that the storefront businesses will be also sharing the costs with “affluent zip codes” because the City of New York automatically assumes business owners are “wealthy.” Our storefront small businesses already experience onerous regulation and deleterious taxation from City Hall. Essentially, this policy is a further attempt to put an end to an economy that is thriving.
To conclude, I state that this policy is dangerous based on the aforementioned results and even the Department of Transportation has demonstrated strong opposition. The borough president is 100% correct and we, the people, should join him in opposition to this policy.
And, while Councilman Morano supported this bill, his opponent, John K. Buthorn – a registered Republican running on the Patriot Workers line in November, has spoken out against it and condemned it. Borough President Fossella and John Buthorn are both correct.
To save our quality of life and economy, re-elect the borough president and elect John Buthorn to the City Council in District 51.
(Joseph Pidoriano is a Dongan Hills resident.)