Olivia Young

At the Oct. 16 first general election mayoral debate, candidates weighed in on citywide issues, including a concern that residents say has worsened in Riverdale since the COVID-19 pandemic — illegal parking.

Just since the start of October this year, residents have filed 698 complaints to 311 about illegal parking, with an average of 37 reports each day. The most popular descriptions include violating a posted parking sign — for example, that reads “no parking” or “no standing” — blocking a fire hydrant, and double parking.

Moderators asked assemblyman and Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani, Republican and founder of crime patrol group the Guardian Angels Curtis Sliwa, and former governor and longtime Democrat running as an independent Andrew Cuomo to name the two major quality-of-life issues New Yorkers most frequently reported to 311.

The answer, which no candidate got fully correct, was noise and illegal parking. Mamdani came closest with his answers: housing and noise.

A Major Riverdale Issue

In Riverdale, traffic-related issues — especially double parking — have persisted for at least the last decade, based on The Press’ reporting dating back to 2015. But it was not nearly as noticeable then.

“This is a new phenomenon,” Vanessa Sequeira, a resident of Riverdale since the 1980s, said. “There have been delays in transit, there have been disputes amongst neighbors, there have been folks who are trying to get out of their parking spaces, but cannot because they’re boxed in. So, it adds to an overall negative tone.”

Residents’ belief problems worsened after the pandemic was reflected in the data. Between 2015 and 2020, greater Riverdale filed just over 700 complaints to 311. Between 2020 and 2025, the number multiplied by more than 40 times higher — at 28,847 complaints.

Robert Zolt, a resident for more than 20 years, said the reason for the rise in illegal parking incidents is due to a rise in development, where homes are replaced by apartment buildings, and more people move into the neighborhood.

“It’s gotten gradually worse … There’s so much construction occurring all over the community, and these new structures aren’t providing enough parking spaces for whoever moves into them,” Zolt said.

According to the New York University Furman Center, Riverdale added 1,732 new housing units between 2010 and 2024.

Don Appel, who has lived in Spuyten Duyvil for four decades, said he has safety concerns, and described driving down Johnson Avenue between West 235th and West 236th Street as a “slalom course” when drivers are parked on either side of the street.

But he clarified the increased traffic is also a sign that residents are frequenting shops and restaurants.

“The question is, how do we address double parking while maintaining viable businesses?” Appel said.

According to 311 reports, other hotspots in addition to Johnson Avenue include along Kingsbridge Terrace, Waldo Avenue, Orloff Avenue and West 238th Street.

Push for Police

Residents interviewed agreed on what they’d like to see from the city — greater enforcement of parking tickets.

“The police are probably doing other things rather than handing out parking tickets, but you could have traffic enforcement agents work on that or see if there’s some way double parkers’ needs can be addressed elsewhere,” Appel said.

Based on New York Police Department statistics, enforcement may not be the problem.

Police told The Press it has issued 40,611 parking violations in the area so far this year.

Far less 311 reports have been reported year-to-date, at 9,490.

Another possibility is the loss of parking from new city initiatives.

This summer, the NYC Department of Transportation, DOT, began construction on a bike lane along Bailey Avenue as part of the Harlem River Greenway, a project meant to make streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as better connect Bronxites with the waterfront.

The bike lane also meant the loss of 46 parking spaces, according to Debby Allen, chair of the Bronx Community Board 8 Traffic and Transportation Committee.

“We try our best to work together with pedestrians, cyclists and motorists,” she said. “But sometimes in eliminating one thing, it may exacerbate other things.”

Allen also noted the impact on community members’ daily lives, saying Riverdale differs from Manhattan in that most residents here own cars. Adjusting to a lack of parking in the neighborhood is difficult.

“It’s a lot of people’s primary transportation for getting to doctor’s appointments or going to school or grocery shopping,” Allen said. “What works in Manhattan may not work in the other boroughs because the community needs are different.”

Last year, the DOT proposed a plan to install 22 additional Citi Bike lanes across greater Riverdale, which was met with concern by CB8 and local leaders.

Allen said the community board is working with the DOT to try and mitigate the loss of spots, but progress is still in the works.

The DOT did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Keywords

Riverdale illegal parking,

NYC 311 complaints,

double parking Bronx,

mayoral debate 2025,

parking enforcement NYC,

traffic issues Riverdale,

COVID-19 parking impact