Should New York City Reserve Parking Spots for Residents Only?

One after another, the cars with out-of-state license plates roll off the George Washington Bridge into Pedro Richiez’s neighborhood in northern Manhattan. They circle the blocks. They nab parking spots as soon as they open up.

“It’s been getting worse over the years,” said Mr. Richiez, 50, a building superintendent, as he sat in his blue minivan on West 176th Street for two hours on Tuesday waiting for a parking spot. “All these outsiders driving in and parking in our neighborhood and then hopping on the subway downtown, instead of paying for a parking garage in Midtown.”

Now, some New Yorkers want to take back parking spots for neighborhood drivers — again. If there are some ideas that never seem to go away — congestion pricing anyone? — residents’ parking is surely one of them.

The idea is to relieve some of the parking pressure on city residents by reserving up to 80 percent of the coveted curbside spots in some neighborhoods for those with permits — and essentially declaring those parking places off limits to suburban commuters and tourists. While such residential parking permits are a mainstay around the country, including in Boston, Washington and Chicago, the system has never advanced in New York City despite repeated attempts over the years — in part because it would require state approval.

This time, enthusiasm for the proposal has spurred not one, but two separate City Council bills, both of which are to be introduced Wednesday. Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, who represents Washington Heights, Inwood and Marble Hill and is the chairman of the Council’s transportation committee, is calling for a citywide residential parking program. Three fellow Council members — Mark Levine, Helen Rosenthal and Keith Powers, all representing Manhattan districts — are proposing a more limited program for the borough, from 60th Street to Manhattan’s northern tip, on both the East and West sides.

“This has always been popular with residents,” said Mr. Levine, a Democrat whose district includes Morningside Heights and Hamilton Heights. “And their frustration now is boiling over.”