NYC Alternate Side Parking Guide: Street Cleaning, Signs and Suspensions
Alternate Side Parking is a street-cleaning rule, not a general permission to ignore parking signs. The safest habit is to read the whole block, check current NYC311 status and separate ASP restrictions from every other rule posted on the street.
ASP signs identify days and times when parking is restricted for cleaning.
NYC311 says Alternate Side Parking is not in effect on Sundays.
NYC311 describes a five-minute grace period for ASP zones.
The posted time still applies after the sweeper passes
When ASP is in effect, the restriction applies for the full time shown on the sign. The fact that a street sweeper has already passed does not automatically make the space legal again.
Suspension does not erase other parking rules
When the city suspends ASP, other posted parking restrictions can still apply. Read No Parking, No Standing, No Stopping, meter and other rules separately before leaving the car.
The calendar is not the whole story
NYC publishes an annual suspension calendar for legal and religious holidays, but weather and emergencies can also create unplanned suspensions. Check NYC311 or Notify NYC when conditions are changing.
Double parking is not a normal ASP workaround
NYC311 states that double parking passenger vehicles is illegal even during street cleaning. A practice that appears common on a block is not the same thing as a legal rule.
Read the entire block
NYC parking rules can be controlled by signs positioned elsewhere on the same block. Do not make a parking decision from the closest sign alone if other signs may apply to the same curb segment.