Regional Plan Association celebrates a century of research, planning, and advocacy

NYCDOT Commissioner’s powers and duties

Under City law, and granted by the Charter, the Mayor - through their appointment of the NYCDOT Commissioner - is endowed with much of the authority over streets and their operation. Below are areas considered to be the powers and duties of the Commissioner

Parking and traffic operations

  • Making the rules and regulations for pedestrian and vehicular traffic on City streets

  • Making all decisions around signs, signals, markings, and other devices that help to guide, direct, or regulate vehicular and pedestrian traffic;

  • Collecting and compiling traffic data and preparing traffic studies;

  • Coordinating efforts of and considering reports, recommendations, and suggestions of public and private agencies and civic groups regarding traffic conditions and control;

  • Preparing analyses of traffic accidents, determining cause and means for prevention;

  • Promoting traffic safety and free movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic through educational activities;

  • Establishing parking meter zones, determine the design, type, size, location, and use of parking meters and fix the fees for parking in parking areas and public parking garages. The fees, fines, and penalties for violation of parking rules are collected into a ​“traffic improvement fund” whose revenues, upon authorization by the City Council, shall be used for all costs related to the parking meters, including interest or debts related to their installation, operation, and maintenance, and for the enforcement of parking rules and regulations; remaining payments may be used for capital and other expenditures to improve traffic conditions which ​“adversely affect the welfare of the city.”

  • Enforcing laws, rules, and regulations concerning vehicle parking and movement and conduct of vehicular and pedestrian traffic;

  • Concurrently with the police department, enforcing all laws, rules, and regulations prohibiting, regulating, directing, controlling, or restricting the parking of vehicles and the movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic on city streets;

  • Issue special vehicle identification parking permits;

  • Presenting/recommending to the mayor:
    - Design and location of lighting
    - The City traffic plan
    - Detailed reports on traffic conditions;
    - Methods to improve traffic conditions that adversely affect the welfare of the city, outside of rules and regulations;
    - Proposed amendments to resolutions, rules, or regulations of any city agency which affect traffic conditions in the city, and proposed legislation to implement them;
    - Proposals for the improvement of existing streets, street widenings, and new streets
    - Proposals for the location and design of parking garages and parking areas, and their establishment;
    - Location, type, and design of off-street loading and unloading parking facilities; and other matters related to traffic control
    - Filling of sunken lots, fencing of vacant lots, digging down of lots, and licensing of vaults under sidewalks;
    - Regulation of infrastructure in, upon, across, over, or under public streets/roads, parks and public spaces, including: The use and transmission of gas, electricity, pneumatic power and steam for all purposes and the construction of electric mains, conduits, conductors and subways
    - Construction, alterations, and maintenance of all bridges and tunnels;
    - Removal of encroachments on public roads/streets
    - Vacant lot maintenance and/or filling;
    - Lighting systems for streets and public spaces

Ferries and related facilities

  • Maintain and operate city ferries;

  • Construct, acquire, operate, maintain and control ferry boats, houses, terminals and equipment, and wharf property, and associated roads and parking facilities;

  • Charge and control of all marine operations within the city and regulate public and private ferry operations originating or terminating within the city;

  • Tours of facilities and permits for television and photography;

  • Construct, operate, and maintain marinas and public boat launch ramps, collecting fees to be deposited in a maintenance, operation and reconstruction fund

Mass transportation facilities

  • Prepare or review plans and recommendations regarding the nature, location, construction, operation , and financing of roads, highways, bridges, tunnels, subways, or other facilities for mass transportation;

  • Develop and coordinate planning and programming for all forms of mass transportation within the city;

  • Make recommendations about the mass transit needs of the city to the mayor, the MTA, NYC Transit Authority, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and other city, state, and federal authorities and agencies

NYCDOT can grant the right to construct or maintain certain types of structures in the right-of-way, a concept known as revocable consent. Traditionally, for things like private bike racks, planters, accessibility ramps, and underground cable conduits, this is granted for a term of ten years, and may be renewed. Sidewalk cafes have their own revocable consent rules and procedures. According to the Administrative Code, they are allowed in commercial, industrial, and certain special zoning districts, and must follow rules that govern their operation, as well as requiring permits from other agencies like the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Buildings. On most NYC streets, the NYPD is responsible for enforcing safety. The NYPD not only enforces traffic laws and parking violations, but also issues permits for parades and use of amplified sound in the right-of-way.