New York City Council reforms parking garage regulations in wake of collapse
LOWER MANHATTAN (PIX11) — The city council changed the way thousands of parking structures around the city are regulated.
It comes after that fatal garage collapse on Ann Street more than a year ago.
Survivors reunited with heroic rescuers at FDNY’s 28th Second Chance Ceremony
Councilmembers Crystal Hudson and Amanda Farias spoke exclusively to PIX11 News at the site of the Ann Street garage Thursday shortly before the City Council reformed the way parking structures are inspected– and, if necessary– fined if safety violations are discovered.
“You walk by the structures every day, and you don’t spend any time thinking something like this could happen,” Farias said before Hudson continued: “That’s why these bills are so important because we know our infrastructure is dated, but we also trust when we are parking our cars, and going to our homes, and walking down the street, the buildings are not going to collapse around us.”
Hudson’s bill means garages will get inspected every four years instead of every six. Democratic Majority Leader Farrias’s legislation will double the penalties for various safety violations.
A third bill would require the Department of Buildings (DOB) to conduct a load-bearing capacity study for all parking garages. It will look at age, materials, and structural design.
However, to keep up with all the additional inspections, the DOB may need to beef up staff. The agency has eliminated positions in recent years, and the Council has pressed the Mayor’s Office to do more hiring. There was recently had a budget hearing on this.
“They’re saying they can do all the inspections that they’re supposed to do and should be doing with what they have,” Hudson said. “But of course more staffing makes a lot of those inspections go faster.”
The Council is also working on several infrastructure bills—Farias said to look for those a bit later this year.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
