BY BETH DEDMAN
Zipcar, a car-sharing community, released the results of the first-ever New York City Parking Report in which they polled 800 car owners and found that— shockingly— it is not pleasant to park a car in NYC.
According to the report, 92% of New York drivers find it at least slightly stressful to find a public parking spot, and 62% find it “very stressful” or “extremely stressful.”
New York drivers surveyed reported that finding a public parking spot is more stressful than sitting next to a crying baby on a plane, sleeping past their alarm clock and going to the dentist.
About 29% of New York drivers report using profanity every day while looking for public parking, with 37% of Manhattan drivers are most likely to use profanity at least once a day while parking, followed by Brooklyn at 32%, Queens at 24%, the Bronx at 24% and Staten Island at 22%.
The survey asked New Yorkers what they would be willing to give up to never have to deal with parking again, and 31% of New York drivers reported they would give up social media, 29% would give up coffee, 26% would give up chocolate and 26% would give up ice cream. Of the 800 people surveyed, 9% of them would give up sex.
Not only is parking in NYC stressful, but it is also costly. New Yorkers who pay for private parking near home report their parking space costs approximately $110 per month, with some even reported spending over $600 per month. The average reported monthly cost for a private parking space is much higher in Manhattan at $248 than it is in Brooklyn at $72, Queens at $67, The Bronx at $60 or Staten Island at $23.
Not only is it costly in terms of money, but also in time. Brooklyn and Manhattan drivers tend to spend 21 minutes on average looking for a parking space compared to Staten Island drivers who spend 16 minutes looking, Queens drivers who lose 17 minutes looking and Bronx drivers who lose 19 minutes.
Zipcar conducted the survey to coincide with a special unveiling of “#Carberg” at 4 Astor Place on Friday 2/28 and Saturday 2/29. “#Carberg” is an over-the-top two-day installation featuring a car buried in a mountain of snow to demonstrate the perils and angst of car ownership in New York City.
The installation aims to highlight how Zipcar can be a solution for urban dwellers by alleviating the stress, hassle and costs associated with car ownership while still providing freedom and access to a vehicle.
The full survey is available at www.zipcar.com.
