NYC Might Start Paying You to Report Illegal Parkers

A new proposal to increase city parking enforcement by incentivizing New Yorkers to report illegally parked cars is gaining a lot of attention.

The bill, introduced to the City Council, would give people making the report a 25% cut of a $175 proposed ticket fine -- that's $44.

Participating New Yorkers would send in photos or video of vehicles blocking bike lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks and school entrances or exits.

Under the bill, a civilian reporting program would be established by the Department of Transportation where complaints would be submitted. Then, the DOT would bring the evidence to the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings in order to determine if the 25% kickback would be awarded.

Council Member Lincoln Restler, who sponsored the legislation and has backing from nearly two dozen other council members, told Bloomberg that the city isn't handing out enough tickets.

“I feel the safety risks every day that are associated with illegal parking,” Restler said. “It’s even more problematic for the parent pushing a stroller or a person in a wheelchair who can’t get by on the sidewalk because of illegally parked cars. That’s why we are creating, in this legislation, a new structure to bring real accountability.”

The legislation still has to make its way through the council process.