F E B R U A R Y 10
Queens drivers: Avoid parking in bus lanes – or else
BY MARK HALLUM
mhallum@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
If you’re driving in Queens and need
to pull over, make sure you don’t stop
your car in a bus lane.
With the launch of dedicated bus
lanes all over the city in an effort to cut
down on commute times for bus riders
across the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio
announced a new crackdown on bus
lane parking on Jan. 24, and warned
that blocking the right of way could
result in hefty towing bills.
“This is going to be crucial – clearing
out those lanes, making sure that the
buses can move. And it’s really clear to
all the folks out there who think about
or ever think about parking in a bus
lane – don’t do it. Don’t do it because
these good public servants are coming
to get you out of that bus lane if you’re
blocking millions of New Yorkers from
being able to get where they need to
go,” de Blasio said. “No one wants to
see cars towed. If you don’t violate the
law, you’re going to be fine. But we’re
here to send a very strong message:
There’s no parking in our bus lanes.”
De Blasio said NYPD will now have
squads of tow trucks at their disposal
dedicated to hauling off illegally
parked cars in bus lanes with seven
teams in each of the five boroughs,
which could mean there are seven to
12 tow trucks across the city ready to
remove vehicles.
The mayor said more New Yorkers
should use the option of public transit,
specifically mentioning Select Bus
Service (SBS) and NYC Ferry which
is rapidly expanding. Queens has several
SBS routes that use dedicated bus
lanes, such as along Main Street for the
Q44 SBS, and Woodhaven and Cross
Bay Boulevards for the Q52/Q53 SBS.
“It’s within our power to get people
more and better options for getting
around,” de Blasio continued. “That’s
why, for example, we announced the
expansion of NYC Ferry. That’s why
we’re going to be fighting, these next
months in Albany, for a plan to actually
fund the MTA properly and get our
subways to run on time. The goal here
is to make sure that we speed things up
and we have better options and we can
do it, When it comes to buses clearing
out the lanes is part of what we need
to do.”
NYPD Chief of Transportation
Thomas Chan was on hand to support
de Blasio’s initiative to clear bus
lanes and said summonses for moving
violations in bus lanes have increased
10 LEHAVRE COURIER | FEBRUARY 2019 | WWW.QNS.COM
The bus lane on Woodhaven Boulevard in Woodhaven
612 percent since the beginning of
2019 while tows have increased by 7
percent.
“This bus unit deploys daily as a complement
to our existing enforcement
deployment,” Chan said. “Beginning
last year, the NYPD began meeting frequently
with our members of the MTA
bus operations in order to develop a
plan in response to New York City’s
most congested bus routes. As a result
of this partnership, we determined specific
bus routes in each borough that
would benefit most from the increased
attention by towing and also enforcement
resources.”
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
In December, the city announced that
the rollout of bus lanes on Woodhaven
and Cross Bay Boulevard had been a
success, decreasing people’s commute
times by 9 to 10 percent, despite community
opposition to the proposal.
A ticket for parking in a bus lane can
cost up $115 and price of a tow can set
a motorist back $185, Chan said.
Cameras currently in place to monitor
bus lanes will help the city enforce
this initiative, de Blasio said.
For trucks making deliveries, Chan
said they will not be making any
exceptions but will help trucks find a
better location on offload.
Seniors: Don’t forget to apply for Enhanced STAR credit
The New York State Department of
Taxation and Finance reminded property
owners age 65 and over who are applying
or reapplying to receive the Enhanced
STAR exemption in 2019 that they must
now enroll in the Income Verification
Program (IVP).
Those already enrolled in the IVP
don’t need to take any action to continue
receiving their Enhanced STAR
exemption.
New IVP enrollees will likewise
automatically receive the exemption
each year they’re eligible.
In the first year of enrollment, the
assessor will verify eligibility based
on the income information provided by
the homeowner. In subsequent years,
the New York State Tax Department
will automatically verify eligibility. As
a result, homeowners will no longer
need to renew the exemption or share
income tax returns with their local
assessor’s office.
“This change applies only to seniors
65 or older applying for the Enhanced
STAR exemption or those who have
the exemption included in their property
tax bills,” said Acting Commissioner
Nonie Manion. “This doesn’t affect
those who receive a check for this
exemption because we already verify
their income eligibility.”
Next steps
If you already receive the Enhanced
STAR exemption but aren’t yet enrolled
in the IVP, you must renew your application
for the Enhanced STAR exemption
and enroll in the IVP. Submit the
following forms to your assessor:
• Form RP-425-Rnw, Renewal
Application for Enhanced STAR
Exemption for the 2019-2020 School
Year; and
• Form RP-425-IVP, Supplement for
Forms RP-425-E and RP-425-Rnw
• If you receive the Basic STAR
exemption now and are eligible for
Enhanced STAR in 2019, you must
apply for it and enroll in the IVP.
Submit the following forms to your
assessor:
• Form RP-425-E, Application for
Enhanced STAR Exemption for the
2019-2020 School Year; and
• Form RP-425-IVP, Supplement to
Forms RP-425-E and RP-425-Rnw
If you’re a new homeowner or firsttime
STAR applicant, you need to
register for the STAR credit with the
Tax Department instead of applying for
the exemption. You can register here:
www.tax.ny.gov/STAR.
Required information
Be sure to complete all forms entirely,
including the Social Security numbers
of all property owners and any
owner’s spouse who resides at the
property. You must also provide proof
of income.
Deadlines
The deadline for applications is March
1 in most communities, but the date
varies in some locations. Contact your
assessor for the deadline in your area.
Senior citizens exemption
If you’re also receiving the senior
citizens exemption, you’ll still need to
annually renew that benefit with your
assessor. To renew your application, file
Form RP-467-Rnw with your assessor.
In the past, seniors who qualified
for the senior citizens exemption were
automatically granted the Enhanced
STAR exemption. Beginning in 2019,
you must apply separately for both
exemptions. Follow the instructions
above to apply or renew the Enhanced
STAR exemption.
To apply or renew the senior citizens
exemption, file the appropriate form
with your assessor:
• first-time applicants must file Form
RP-467, Application for Partial Tax
Exemption for Real Property of
Senior Citizens
• renewal applicants must file Form
RP-467-Rnw, Renewal Application
for Partial Tax Exemption for Real
Property of Senior Citizens
From the New York State Department
of Taxation and Finance
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