The North Hempstead Town Boardvotedto limit an area of the Port Washington Public Parking District to be used only by Long Island Railroad commuters at its Tuesday, Feb. 10 meeting.
The parking lot is located at the intersection of Bayview Avenue and Haven Avenue/Railroad Avenue by the Port Washington LIRR train station.
Town Council Member Dennis Walsh was the sole member of the board to vote against the bill, citing concerns about the new law’s enforceability.
Town Council Member Mariann Dalimonte said the legislation was needed to improve safety. She saida union member was almost hit by a vehicle driving recklessly in the parking lot.
She also said that previously, the town required drivers to be LIRR commuters, but when the town changed its parking pass registration from paper to electronic forms, it no longer asked drivers to confirm it.
“It’s the most dangerous parking lot in the Town of North Hempstead,” said Tom McDonough, president of Civil Service Employees Association Unit 7555.
McDonough and Dalimonte both said the parking lot is used by many students attending nearby schools.McDonough also said he was worried about ensuring people adhere to the law.
Chief Deputy Town Attorney Robert Bogle said he was concerned about the enforcement of the new legislation.
“There are difficulties in enforcement here. A lot of it is going to rely on good faith,” Bogle said.“If you have a clever defendant, that defendant will be able to, more likely than not, get off if they are willing to be more unscrupulous.”
Walsh said he worried about people just lying to get their way out of any tickets issued. “How long do you think it’s gonna take before everybody knows what to say?”
Source: LI Press
