number of city-issued parking placards _ which allow people to park in
prime spaces off limits to other drivers -- and crack down on
counterfeit and misused cards.
For years critics have blamed the Big Apple's clogged streets, among
the world's most congested, and the dearth of curbside parking spaces
in part on the seemingly widespread use and abuse of the placards,
small cards that are placed on the dashboard and let traffic agents
know that a vehicle has special privileges.
The mayor demanded each city department reduce the number of parking placards it issues by at least 20 percent by March 1.
Only the police and transportation departments will have the
authority to issue the placards. Currently, various city agencies,
including the fire and education departments, can authorize them.
Also, the police department will create a special unit to go after
people who use fake or unauthorized placards, and agencies will devise
procedures to prevent abuse among city employees, the mayor said.
"Parking placards are a necessary tool for conducting city
business,'' Bloomberg said, ``but we have no tolerance for their abuse,
which contributes to congestion. City workers have often led by
example, and our efforts to reduce traffic congestion will be no
different.''
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