Downtown Brooklyn’s persistent problem with illegal parking was spotlighted in a NYC Council study released on Monday, revealing that the scourge is rampant throughout the commercial and residential neighborhood, with many offending vehicles displaying real and fake parking placards.
The report, conducted by Brooklyn City Council Member Lincoln Restler, analyzed thousands of parking instances over a month from May 26 to June 20, exposing widespread disregard for existing parking regulations. The study surveyed 60 blocks to determine the frequency and extent of illegal parking.
The study found that on an average weekday, there are 457 illegally parked vehicles. It also found that a majority of them had had either official government placards or fake placards. Over the course of the study, just 3% of illegally parked cars were ticketed, which Restler said is “a woefully small number” that highlights the “city’s failure” to tackle placard abuse and hold drivers accountable for illegal parking.
“Illegal parking has taken over every block of Downtown Brooklyn,” Restler said. “Our study confirmed what neighbors experience every day. Hundreds of illegally parked cars are blocking sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, and loading zones.”
It is unclear if micromobility devices, such as mopeds and e-bikes, were included in the study or if it focused only on motor vehicles. Regardless, any vehicle with or without a government placard was marked illegally parked if it was located in a crosswalk, in front of a hydrant, on the sidewalk, blocking a driveway, in a bus stop, or in a no-standing zone.
Restler said parking illegally poses safety risks.
“Drivers who choose to illegally park create dangerous conditions for pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers. The majority of offenders are government workers and contractors who should know better than anyone the importance of following the rules.”
amNewYork contacted the NYC Department of Transportation, asking if the agency acknowledged the problem. Officials declined to comment and referred the newspaper to the NYPD.
According to the NYPD’s latest statistics, parking summonses more than doubled year-to-date in 2025 compared to the same period last year in Downtown Brooklyn’s 84th Precinct.
By this point last year, the precinct had issued 2,795 parking tickets. That number jumped this year so far to 4,457 — a whopping 59% increase.
The neighboring 88th Precinct gave out 2,295 parking tickets so far this year, up from 1,593 by this point in 2024, according to the NYPD.
The blocks with the highest concentration of illegal parking were centered around government buildings. Outside the Kings County Courthouse on Adams Street from Joralemon to Johnson Streets, there were an average of 63 illegally parked cars every day. Over 60% of these cars had official placards, despite the fact that there are 180 on-street parking spots and a 36-vehicle private parking lot already reserved for court employees, Restler said.
“There is negligible enforcement against illegal parking, and it’s time that we take action to abolish government placards and improve street designs to make Downtown Brooklyn safer for all,” the council member said.
No more placards, except for elected officials: Restler
The study concluded with recommendations for addressing illegal parking. At the top of the list, Restler said, the city council “must pass” Intro. 0411-2024, which would revoke 60,000 city-issued parking placards.
However, Restler, along with other elected officials, would be exempt from under the bill, as it is currently constituted.
“This bill would prohibit any city agency from issuing parking permits to private vehicles that do not have an elected official license plate, and would provide for the revocation of such parking permits,” the bill’s summary reads.
Also exempt would be parking permits issued in contract negotiations with the City of New York, such as NYPD.
Council members supporting the bill include Erik Bottcher, Chris Marte and Gale Brewer of Manhattan, Julie Won of Queens, and Alexa Aviles of Brooklyn.
amNewYork contacted the office of Mayor Eric Adams, who is currently in Albania, to ask if he would support Intro. 0411. Like the DOT, the office declined to comment and referred inquiries to the NYPD.
