A proposal by City Council Member Hiram Monserrate would give hybrid car drivers free parking at meters for a year after their initial purchase. If the legislation passes, drivers with receipts for hybrid cars could apply for the permits, which the Queens councilman says would cost the city little in lost revenue, because the taxes from new car sales would make up for the quarters lost at parking meters.
But Council Member John Liu, chairman of the Transportation Committee, is raising questions about the plan, such as “whether this is limited to residents or if people visiting from Ohio who happened to drive their hybrid to New York for vacation could apply.” And the chorus on Streetsblog, a site that advocates changes to urban transportation, seems cool to the idea because it would not help ease New York’s traffic congestion.
But Monserrate is a dogged advocate of hybrid cars and is sponsoring two related resolutions, one that would urge state lawmakers to offer a tax credit toward gasoline purchases for hybrid vehicles and another calling for tax incentives for hybrid buyers.
