Small fines don’t discourage tractor-trailer parking
Overnight parking of tractor trailers has created a chronic problem for business owner Russell TumSuden.
Newsday photo by Julia Gaines
I am writing you for help with the illegal parking conditions in front of our business on Locust Street in Garden City. These tractor-trailers, some from out of state, are often parked here for days though overnight street parking is prohibited. This has been a problem since 2004. Why are the trucks not being ticketed or towed? I’ve written to Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi and the Third Precinct. If they were parked by your property, I’m sure you would not be happy.
—Russell TumSuden, Garden City
A few hours after we called, Nassau police officers were dispatched to ticket the trucks.
Nassau Police Third Precinct Sgt. Craig Berge said ticketing efforts on Locust Street had been stepped up since April and officers are there multiple times a week.
But, so far, the $25 fines haven’t done much to deter the illegal parking.
Berge said the tractor trailers are likely parked there because the fines are cheaper than commercial lot fees.
Previously, the precinct impounded the trucks, Berge said, but that stopped several years ago after towing companies claimed frequent heavy-duty tows were not cost-effective for them.
Berge said his next plan is to stake out the block and confront trailer owners face-to-face. “Once I’m able to make direct contact with them, I think I’ll be able to convince them to park elsewhere,” he said, maybe in a nearby commercial lot.
Third Precinct residents with similar problems can call the Third Precinct at 516-573-6300.
--Michael R. Ebert
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