There are going to be even less on-street parking spaces in NYC moving forward

The New York Department of Transportation (DOT) just announced the expansion of the on-street carshare pilot program that first launched in 2018. As a result, New Yorkers can expect a lesser number of parking spots available throughout town.

In total, the city is currently home to 230 curbside carshare parking locations, with 80 new ones scheduled to be installed in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens this week. Officials hope to set up hundreds more before the end of 2023.

DOT commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez made the announcement yesterday, specifically citing the benefits of the project as made apparent by the success of the pilot program. 

According to official data, "greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled declined 7% and 6%, respectively, [and], for every one car shared vehicle, four personal vehicles were either not purchased or sold."

"We now have the proof that convenient access to carshare frees New Yorkers from the burden of car ownership—while helping to fight climate change," said Rodriguez in an official statement. "Soon, more New Yorkers will have access to a vehicle when required—no need to sign an expensive lease or to fret about finding a parking space."

The department will work with three companies—Zipcar, Getaround and Truqit—to unleash the shared cars at new locations that are to be selected by the businesses themselves based on customer demand and overall demographics.

"Locations must also conform with criteria set forth by the NYC DOT to ensure the program reaches underserved New Yorkers in Equity Zone Areas," reads an official press release. You can find a list of already-selected addresses right here. 

Obviously offering New Yorkers yet another mode of transportation, which is always a welcome benefit, the expanded program might adversely affect folks who actually own cars in the city or drive in every day hoping to find street parking. When the project first kicked off, in fact, people would illegally park in spots reserved for the shared vehicles. However, the DOT recently noted that, a year from launch date, the number of New Yorkers illegally parking in the spaces decreased. 

In case you haven't seen them around, the spots are marked with painted signs that read "Carshare Parking Only." Needless to say, you'll notice more of them in the near future.