Text change establishes clear rules on where car-sharing companies can park vehicles. On September 29, 2010, the City Council approved the Department of City Planning’s Car- Share Text Amendment. The zoning resolution now recognizes car-share vehicles, such as those offered by ZipCar and Connect by Hertz, and sets out which off-street parking facilities are suitable for car-share storage. The City Planning Commission modified the text amendment during its review of the proposal. 7 CityLand 123 (Sept. 15, 2010).

Car-share vehicles are available to pre-approved, registered members 24 hours a day. Car-share companies allow their members to pick up and drop off the cars through a self-service system. Carshare vehicles are permitted in high-, medium-, and low-density parking facilities that are accessory to commercial, manufacturing, or residential uses. Greater numbers of car-share vehicles are permitted in parking facilities located in higher density districts.

Facilities storing car-share vehicles will be required to display a plaque identifying the total number of spaces in the facility and the number of permitted car-share vehicles. In residential parking facilities, the plaque must also state that a parking space leased by a car-share company will be made available to building residents within 30 days after a written request is made to the landlord. To ensure safety, residential parking facilities containing car-share vehicles must be securely separated from residential portions of a building.

The full Council approved the amendment, with only Council Member Peter Vallone Jr. voting no.

Review Process:

Lead Agency: CPC, Neg. Dec.
Comm. Bd.: Citywide, 23 App’d, 4 Den’d
Boro. Pres.: Citywide, BK & MN App’d
SI Boro. Bd.: App’d
CPC: App’d, 11-0-0
Council: App’d, 49-1-0

Council: Car Share Text Amendment (Sept. 29, 2010).