This Holiday Season: Be Aware of Disabled Parking Spots

When the holidays approach, many shoppers might look to make quick pit stops into local businesses to pick up items. And sometimes, with limited parking, they may decide to use designated disabled spots since they feel they’ll be quick inside the store.   

Assemblyman Michael Cusick wants to remind shoppers to be more considerate with those spaces as the Mid-Island politician kicked off the start of his office’s annual Disabled Parking Task Force public awareness campaign on Friday, December 3 at the Staten Island Mall. 

“It’s more about making people aware of how important these spots are to people who need them,” said Cusick. “With this campaign, we do it around this time around the Christmas, holiday, and busy shopping season to remind people to be courteous to our neighbors, our families, and our friends. People need these spots. These spots are there for a reason.”  

The lawmaker cited the importance to keep disabled spots open year-round, but sometimes around this season, more shoppers could translate to fewer spaces. Cusick added that sometimes Islanders who rely on those designated areas may arrive to a store and when they see none of those spots are available, they’ll return home, depriving them of needed goods and services.

Any Staten Island business that wishes to participate in the campaign should contact Cusick’s office (718-370-1384 or via email at cusickm@nyassembly.gov) and a Task Force volunteer will install a sign in their parking lot reminding shoppers to reserve the disabled parking spaces for those who truly need them.

Those in attendance at the event were: DOT Staten Island Borough Commissioner Roseann Caruana, Michael Anderson with the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, Michelle Sabatino with the Staten Island Center for Independent Living, Jim Easley with the Staten Island Mall, and representatives from the New York Police Department.