New January 1 law will see parking fines jump to $50 – and they’ll double if left unpaid for 15 days

A NEW legislation is set to go into effect on New Year’s Day that will send parking fines spiking to $50 and double if the ticket goes unpaid for 15 days.

Beginning January 1, 2025, traffic infractions in Kingston, New York, about 100 miles north of New York City, will jump from $20 to $50.

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Parking fines in Kingston, New York, will jump to $50 beginning JanuaryCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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Fines will double to $100 if the tickets are not paid within 15 daysCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Ticket agents who catch unattended double-parked vehicles or cars blocking driveways or crosswalks for pedestrians will be subject to the new fines.

Blocking a fire hydrant will result in an automatic $100 fine.

“Our parking policies indicate that if you do not pay three or more tickets, you may have your car immobilized with a boot until you pay your parking tickets,” Kingston Mayor Steve Noble told Hudson Valley One.

Drivers who go 15 days without paying their tickets will see their penalty double to $100.

Vehicles that are also parked on streets, highways, or parking areas in Kingston that are not indicated for emergency parking during a snowstorm will be towed.

“These incidents may occur during a snow emergency when a street needs to get cleared or during an event that, for the safety of the residents, we require that there be no parked cars on the street,” Noble added.

Cars that are towed will be charged an additional $40 a day if the vehicle is not retrieved by the owner.

“Most cities do not have their own towing operation, as most cities do not have the need to tow that many cars,” Noble said.

Penalties for an expired parking meter will remain $25.

NYC CONGESTION TOLL

Meanwhile, in New York City, a new toll will be enforced on drivers entering the busiest part of Manhattan, covering 60th Street and below.

The Big Apple’s controversial congestion fee crackdown will finally go into effect on January 5, 2025, months after Governor Kathy Hochul paused the system on June 6.

The new toll will see drivers shell out $9, down from the first proposed $15, every time they visit New York City’s busiest roads

The relief zone includes major roadways like the Lincoln, Holland, Queens-Midtown, and Brooklyn-Battery tunnels; the Queensboro, Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn bridges; and the Queen Midtown Tunnel.

Drivers who live within the zone will only be charged if they leave and return.

Highways like the FDR Drive and West Side Highway will not be affected by the tolls as long as vehicles stay off surface roads.

Weeks before she moved to halt the tolling system, Hochul said the price was unrealistic for most working-class families.

Now, with the 40% reduction, the governor said commuters would save $1,500 annually, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) could still get a significant bump in funding.

“That kind of money makes a huge impact on families,” Hochul said in a statement.

New Yorkers who own a vehicle and make less than $50,000 a year will get a reduced fee, but the price was not specified on Thursday.

These residents can get a month of fees slashed in half after paying 10 full-price tolls.

Passenger vehicles with E-ZPass will pay $9 during peak hours and $2.25 during overnight hours after 9 pm, which is down from the original $3.75 proposal.

Passenger vehicles with no E-ZPass will pay $13.50 during peak hours and $3.30 during overnight hours.

Large, multi-unit trucks and sightseeing buses will be forced to fork over $21.60, down from $36.

Smaller single-unit trucks, including pickup trucks and vans with modified beds, will pay $14.40 during peak hours, down from $24.

Motorcyclists who have an E-ZPass will pay $4.50 during peak hours.