Alternate-side parking is one of those things Brooklyn residents either learn quickly or learn painfully. On moving day, failing to account for it can result in a parking ticket, a towed moving truck, or a crew that cannot get close enough to your building to work efficiently. None of these situations is recoverable once the day is underway.
Here is what you need to know about alternate-side parking in Brooklyn, and how to handle it correctly for your move.
Alternate-side parking regulations exist to allow street cleaning. On designated days and times, parking is prohibited on one side of the street so the mechanical street sweepers can operate. The specific schedule varies by block. One block in Park Slope may have Tuesday and Friday restrictions from 11:30 AM to 1 PM, while a block in Flatbush has Monday and Thursday restrictions from 8 to 9 AM. You cannot assume the schedule based on what you know about a neighboring street.
The NYC Department of Transportation’s parking signs database and the NYC 311 website both allow you to look up the specific alternate-side schedule for any block in the borough. Do this for both your current address and your destination address before you finalize your moving day timeline.
Moving trucks are commercial vehicles, and they are not exempt from alternate-side parking rules. A truck parked on the wrong side of the street during an active alternate-side period can receive a ticket ranging from $65 to over $100, and in some cases can be towed. A towed moving truck on moving day is about as disruptive as it gets.
Beyond the legal issue, alternate-side restrictions affect where and when a truck can park, which affects how close movers can work to your building entrance. A truck parked half a block away because of a parking restriction adds significant time and physical effort to every trip, multiplied by every item in your home.
The NYC Department of Transportation allows you to request a temporary street parking authorization for moving trucks. This permit, commonly called a No Parking notice, reserves a section of the street for your truck during the move. It is posted on signage at the parking spot and gives you legal right to that space during the specified hours.
Submit your request to the NYC DOT at least two weeks in advance. The process requires your name, the date, the address, the time period, and the approximate length of the truck. Your moving company can often assist with this process if they are locally experienced, it is a routine part of their operations in Brooklyn.
Beyond alternate-side rules, large moving trucks face additional restrictions in Brooklyn. Trucks above a certain weight or height are prohibited on parkways, including the Belt Parkway and Ocean Parkway. GPS routing systems do not always account for these restrictions. Any Brooklyn-based moving company with local experience will know the correct commercial vehicle routes and will plan accordingly. This is another reason why local knowledge matters in a borough with these specific infrastructure constraints.
The City of New York occasionally suspends alternate-side parking regulations on religious holidays and some civic occasions. If your move date falls on or near such a day, check the NYC 311 calendar in advance. A suspension in effect on your moving day can simplify parking considerably, but verify it rather than assuming.
U.Santini Moving & Storage handles parking logistics for Brooklyn moves as part of our standard process. Our crews know the streets, the rules, and how to keep your move on schedule. Contact us to plan your move with a team that knows Brooklyn’s specific requirements.
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