Residents pose for a group photo as they call for “No Meters” on Shore Front Parkway. Photo by John Schilling

Rockaway residents braved the pouring rain on Sunday, Oct. 11, to rally against the NYC Department of Transportation’s (DOT) plans to install seasonal parking meters along portions of Shore Front Parkway next spring.

The rally, which took place at the Beach 94th Street Amphitheater, saw two dozen locals take part, with the group holding up signs and chanting, “No meters,” in a clear, united message to DOT.

“We [are] fighting for every Rockaway [resident], and we should not have to fight; we should not have to be out here in the rain,” said former Rockaway Beach Civic Association (RBCA) President and Community Board 14 member John Cori, who led last weekend’s rally. “DOT has decided to push down our throats the same plan they have from 10 years ago. It’s very unfair,” he continued. “Why [do] they keep coming back? I have no idea, [but] we will fight until we are exhausted. This is not going to end on our watch.”

The Wave first reported DOT’s plans earlier this month. According to a department plan obtained by The Wave, DOT plans to install seasonal parking meters on the south side of Shore Front Parkway between Beach 97th Street and Beach 90th Street, along with another smaller section of seasonal parking meters between Beach 90th Street and Beach 84th Street.

DOT previously presented metered parking on the south side of Shore Front Parkway to Community Board 14 in 2017, but the board opposed changing the existing parking restrictions, and the plan never came to fruition.

The latest proposal comes as illegal parking along Shore Front Parkway remains an ongoing issue, particularly during the summer beach season. The RBCA and other local residents have repeatedly called for more visible pavement markings and signage to prevent vehicles from occupying the drop-off lane for extended periods.

The issue came up at an RBCA meeting earlier this year, when DOT Queens Deputy Borough Planner Emanuel “Manny” Evans acknowledged that seasonal metered parking was among the options the department could consider. RBCA members opposed the idea, instead calling for measures to address illegal parking without converting the drop-off lane into paid parking spaces.

John Cori speaks during the rally. Photo by John Schilling

One concern is that drivers displaced from the drop-off lane could begin stopping or idling in the adjacent travel lane, creating traffic backups along Shore Front Parkway. Residents have also warned that vehicles parked along the roadway could obstruct emergency responders trying to reach the beach and boardwalk during drownings or other emergency situations.

RBCA President Bridget Klapinski said her opposition to metered parking is rooted less in the politics surrounding the proposal than in how it could affect traffic and the surrounding community.

“It’s not a war on cars,” Klapinski told The Wave. “It’s just about what works and what doesn’t.”

Klapinski said she was caught off guard by the news of the latest plans, recalling the last she heard from DOT was during the RBCA’s March meeting when members of the association voiced opposition to seasonal parking meters and subsequently passed a motion to write a letter to the department requesting zebra striping or other pavement markings to crack down on illegal parking.

During the rally, Surfside Housing Association For Tenants (SHAFT) Leader Barbara Buffolino said she and other nearby residents have opposed the parking meter proposal since DOT first presented it over a decade ago, citing the potential dangers posed by vehicles occupying the area.

“From day one, when DOT did this redesign, we were against it because of the danger it implicated, and of course, we see it happening now more and more,” Buffolino said. “By putting meters in, that means DOT wants to make money with the danger.”

NYC Councilwoman Joann Ariola, the lone elected official to attend Sunday’s rally, also framed the issue as “a public safety matter.”

“We have fire engines, ambulances, drownings, police activity…[and] we cannot get to the beach in time, and minutes matter because cars are parked along Shore Front Parkway,” said Ariola, who represents the western half of the Rockaway peninsula in Council District 32.

NYC Councilwoman Joann Ariola chants “No Meters” with SHAFT leaders Barbara Buffolino and Karen Nevirs. Photo by John Schilling

While speaking at the rally, Ariola called DOT’s plans to add meters along the south side of Shore Front Parkway “retributional” since the community has made its opposition to the idea clear for well over a decade.

“I made it clear to the DOT that if this community wanted meters, they would’ve gotten meters,” Ariola added. “They don’t want meters!”

Tom Sullivan, the Republican candidate in the race for Assembly District 23, also attended the rally and criticized the proposal, arguing that revenue from parking meters should not take precedence over public safety.

“Profits over people’s safety are unacceptable,” Sullivan said in a statement. “Parking along the south side of Shore Front Parkway presents potentially dangerous, life-threatening situations by preventing first responders from reaching the boardwalk and/or the beach. In times of crisis, seconds matter.”

Sullivan also raised concerns that the proposal could eventually extend beyond the two planned sections.

“If the DOT succeeds, what prevents them from expanding metered parking along Short Front Parkway in its entirety? This is unacceptable, and it is why I am standing among many to speak out against the DOT’s efforts,” Sullivan added. “We must fight for no meters and keep no parking—it is for our public safety and our community.”

Like Sullivan, Cori similarly fears the plan could be the first step toward a broader expansion of metered parking along the peninsula.

“This is just the beginning,” Cori insisted. “They’re going to do a small section of meters. Once it goes in and once we get revenue, they’re going to do the whole Shore Front Parkway and then possibly the whole peninsula,” he added. “It’s not doom and gloom; it’s reality. We have to think about the best thing for the people of Rockaway.”

DOT has not responded to The Wave’s requests for comment.