Free Parking for Hybrid Cars Is Proposed

New Yorkers who purchase hybrid cars would receive a novel perk under legislation proposed by Council Member Hiram Monserrate: free parking for a year.

"Obviously in the backdrop of global warming and $4-a-gallon fuel, the question is what we should do as a municipality to consume less," Mr. Monserrate, who represents parts of Queens, said in an interview.

If the legislation passes, drivers with receipts for hybrid cars could apply for permits granting them the right to free use of parking meters for a year after their initial purchase.

According to Mr. Monserrate, the advantages of such a move would not be limited to the environment.

"It might help in a small way to activate new car sales, which I think is good for the economy. And no one can deny that it would be good for car dealers and the workers at the plants," he said.

While the cost of the proposal was not immediately clear, Mr. Monserrate said tax revenue from increased car purchases could help pay for it.

"Whatever the city loses on a few quarters, we will gain in the city tax portion of purchasing a new vehicle," he said.

Council Member John Liu, chairman of the Transportation Committee, said that the plan would be examined closely.

"We'd have to work through what the eligibility would be," Mr. Liu said yesterday. "There would be a question of whether this is limited to residents or if people visiting from Ohio who happened to drive their hybrid to New York for vacation could apply."

In addition to the free parking proposal, Mr. Monserrate is sponsoring two resolutions calling on Albany to grant tax incentives for New Yorkers who buy hybrid vehicles and to provide a $100 tax credit toward gasoline purchases for hybrid owners.