Have you ever found yourself circling the block endlessly, desperately searching for a parking spot in New York City? As a former driver in the city, I know this struggle all too well. Despite my best efforts, I often found myself resorting to illegal parking just to avoid spending even more time on the hunt for a spot. Unfortunately, this led to a costly mistake when my car was towed due to blocking a driveway. The fees and fines associated with this incident were so high that I made the difficult decision to stop using my car in the city altogether. This experience left me wondering just how common illegal parking is in New York City, and thus inspired me to question the prevalence of illegal parking in New York City.

Research Question
What is the state of illegal parking in NYC?
1. Where are the most common areas for illegal parking complaints in NYC?
2. What are the most common types of illegal parking complaints through 311?
3. What are the times or days of the week when illegal parking complaints are more common?

Audience
Analyzing these questions can provide valuable insights for drivers and residents of NYC regarding the most common locations and times for illegal parking complaints. By utilizing this information, individuals can make informed decisions such as avoiding areas with a higher frequency of parking violations or planning travel routes to avoid peak times for parking violations.

About the Data
The main data source for this research project is the New York City Open Data Portal. This dataset contains all service requests made to the city’s 311 call center from 2010 to the present. The data is available in several formats, including CSV and CSV for Excel. For my research project, I extracted a subset of the data containing illegal parking complaints reported between January 1st, 2020, and December 31st, 2022, in all boroughs of NYC. This data contains information about the location, type, and date and time of each illegal parking complaint.

1. Illegal Parking Complaints by Street Name and Zip Code

The map shows that there are several streets in New York City where the number of reported illegal parking complaints is highest. For instance, Parson Boulevard in Queens had the highest number of complaints, with 3411 reported incidents. Similarly, West 190 Street in Manhattan had 1326 complaints, while WEB Avenue in the Bronx had 1020 complaints.

2. Illegal Parking Complaints by Borough

According to the results of the bar chart, it is evident that Brooklyn and Queens have the highest number of reported illegal parking complaints, with 319,374 and 285,878 complaints, respectively. This finding suggests that illegal parking is a significant issue in these boroughs. The Bronx and Manhattan also have a considerable number of complaints, with 154,302 and 129,300 complaints, respectively. However, the number of complaints in Staten Island was relatively low, with only 28,284 complaints.

3. The Most Common Types of Illegal Parking Complaints Through 311

By looking at the results of the treemap, it is evident that the most common type of illegal parking complaint is the blocking of fire hydrants. This could be attributed to individuals’ sense of community responsibility and their concern for the safety and well-being of their fellow citizens. The second most frequently reported violation is for parking in areas where signage prohibits parking. Other types of parking violations were reported less frequently than these two primary violations.

4. The Frequency of Illegal Parking Complaints in NYC Based on Days of The Week

Based on the results of the line chart, it appears that illegal parking complaints are most frequent on Thursdays, with a total of 138,277 complaints. Fridays and Tuesdays were not far behind, with 134,810 and 134,476 complaints, respectively. Wednesdays and Mondays had similar frequencies, with 134,195 and 130,334 complaints, respectively. Saturdays had the lowest number of reported complaints, with 125,426 complaints. These results suggest that illegal parking is a consistent issue throughout the weekdays, with Thursdays appearing to be the peak day for complaints. It could be useful for drivers to consider this information when planning their travel routes and parking strategies to avoid times when illegal parking violations are most likely to occur.

5. The Frequency of Illegal Parking Complaints in NYC based on The Day of The Week

The line chart shows that illegal parking complaints are relatively low during the early morning hours but steadily increase throughout the day, with the highest frequency occurring during the morning peak commuting hours and in the evening after rush hour. Specifically, the highest frequency of complaints is seen between 7 am and 9 am and between 9 pm and 10 pm.

Next Steps
To expand on the insights gained from the current analysis, a potential next step would be to procure a larger dataset that encompasses a more extended period to extend the scope of the findings and identify trends and patterns. Another possible direction for this project could be to investigate the correlation between illegal parking complaints and other variables, such as population density, by merging this data with other relevant datasets. Exploring this relationship could provide deeper insight into whether areas with higher population densities are more prone to illegal parking.