Dive Brief:

• New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday that 309 on-street and municipal lot parking spaces as well as at 11 public housing properties will be reserved for Enterprise and Zipcar car-share vehicles.
• The pilot program will begin on June 4 across 29 neighborhoods in four boroughs, selected after what city officials described in a press release as an "extensive community consultation process."
• At a press conference announcing the program, de Blasio said it will help improve congestion and pollution on the city’s streets. "It’s about protecting our city and our people in so many different ways," he said.

Dive Insight:

In unveiling this program, de Blasio said it is consistent with other efforts the city has made around different ways to help residents and visitors get around, including its Citi Bike docked bike-share service, the NYC Ferry and the Select Bus Service network that complements the subway. 

The program comes as the city continues to battle with ways to alleviate its notorious traffic congestion, something that led to discussions of a congestion pricing plan that eventually went nowhere in state budget discussions. And with the city also exploring the limited roll-out of a dockless bike-share program, de Blasio said it is imperative to keep innovating. “Right now, the status quo isn't acceptable, so our job is to create more options for New Yorkers to get around,” he said.

It is also hoped that the scheme will encourage more New Yorkers to give up their cars, which will simultaneously reduce pollution and reduce what de Blasio said is the "tremendous frustration" for car owners in the city having to pay for fuel, insurance and parking when they maybe rarely use their cars. “What we want to do is make it easier for people who only need a car a small amount of time to have a great new option, and this is where this new initiative comes in,” he said.