Bell Blvd parking problems getting worse

From the Times Ledger:

Bayside business owners and community leaders blame a lack of parking spaces and aggressive ticketing by traffic agents for discouraging borough residents from patronizing Bell Boulevard’s international smorgasbord of restaurants and its unique stores.

Bayside is not the only Queens community to be plagued by parking and ticketing problems. Residents of Long Island City, parts of Astoria, Forest Hills and Flushing have also complained about a lack of available parking spots and heavy ticketing.

The municipal lot on 41st Avenue near Bell Boulevard does not provide relief because it is primarily used by drivers from Long Island who leave their vehicles parked for the day and take the Long Island Rail Road into Manhattan, said CB 11 member Frank Skala, who is also president of the East Bayside Homeowners Association. Some meters at the lot have four-hour time limits, while others allow drivers to park for as long as 15 hours.

A project to add an upper level to the lot never materialized.