Check the Curb, the Clock, and Today’s Street-Cleaning Status

NYC alternate side parking status

Rowan Lee Aug 18, 2026 · 19 min read

Is alternate side parking in effect today?

NYC alternate side parking status

Status for Wednesday, August 19, 2026: Not verified. Verification record: No live same-day status check was performed for this article.

Do not treat this page as confirmation that ASP is in effect or suspended today. Check an official live channel shortly before relying on a parking space:

NYC311 Online

NYC311 app

NYC DOT’s ASP page

@NYCASP on X

If severe weather, snow, or an emergency is developing, check again shortly before the restriction begins.

The official NYC DOT snapshot supplied for this guide reported that ASP was in effect on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. It did not establish the status for August 19 or any later date. The same snapshot identified Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2026, as the next planned suspension after August 19.

That distinction matters because a search result, screenshot, social post, or downloaded calendar can remain visible after the information has expired. A publication reporting a same-day ASP result should show the exact date, time, and time zone of its official check. If no timestamp appears, treat the result as potentially stale.

Scheduled observances are not the only reason ASP may be suspended. New York City may also announce changes because of severe weather, emergencies, snow operations, or localized sign updates. Emergency decisions can be made late as conditions change, so a status viewed the previous evening may not remain reliable for an afternoon cleaning window.

For example, if a sign begins at 11:30 a.m. and severe weather is developing, check once while planning and again shortly before 11:30. Do not rely on news coverage of a possible suspension unless an official NYC channel has confirmed it.

A safe answer to “Is alternate side parking in effect today?” therefore requires two separate checks:

Confirm the current citywide status through an official live channel.
Confirm that the ASP sign governing the vehicle’s exact curb applies on that date and at that time.

A citywide “in effect” announcement does not mean every street has an ASP restriction that day. It means posted ASP rules can be enforced where their stated days and times apply. Conversely, a citywide ASP suspension removes the street-cleaning restriction but may leave meters, hydrant clearance, loading rules, and other curb restrictions in force.

What alternate side parking means in New York City

Alternate Side Parking, commonly shortened to ASP, temporarily prohibits parking along a designated curb so street-cleaning crews can reach it.

An ASP sign uses a crossed-out P with a broom. The sign states the day or days when parking is prohibited and the complete restriction window. Those details—not a general neighborhood habit—determine when a vehicle must be away from that side of the street.

There is no single weekly ASP schedule for every New York City curb. One block may have cleaning on Monday and Thursday, another on Tuesday and Friday, and another only once a week. Opposite sides of the same street can have different days or hours, while some streets have no ASP restriction.

Advice such as “move to the other side on Tuesday” is therefore incomplete unless it is based on the signs for that particular block. Drivers should not carry a familiar schedule from one neighborhood into another or assume that NYC follows one universal alternating-weekday pattern.

ASP generally applies during the time window printed on the sign, not throughout the entire day. If a sign says:

No Parking Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.–10:00 a.m.

the street-cleaning restriction applies to that curb on Tuesday from 8:30 until 10:00 a.m. The vehicle must remain away for the complete period. The five-minute ticket grace period at the beginning affects when an ASP summons may be issued; it does not change the sign’s start or end time.

In practical terms:

Before 8:30 a.m., parking may be allowed if no other rule prohibits it.
At 8:30 a.m., the posted ASP restriction begins.
An ASP ticket cannot be issued during the five minutes immediately after the start time.
Enforcement may begin after that grace period.
At 10:00 a.m., the ASP window ends.
A meter, time limit, school rule, loading restriction, or other regulation may still control the space.

ASP is only one layer of New York City’s curb system. Compliance with the broom sign does not establish that the space is otherwise legal.

How to read the signs for your exact parking space

Do not stop your inspection at the first broom symbol you notice. Use a block-level process before leaving the vehicle:

Inspect the whole block. Only one traffic sign may be required on a block, so the closest sign is not necessarily the only relevant one.
Match the rule to your curb side. A sign governing the opposite side of the street may not control your space.
Confirm the day. Make sure the sign applies to the date in question.
Read the full time window. Check both the start and end times.
Follow the arrows. An arrow may limit a rule to one direction or portion of the curb.
Read every sign on the pole. Different restrictions can apply at different hours.
Look for temporary notices. Construction, filming, utility work, snow operations, and special events can produce short-term changes.

A space can comply with ASP and still be illegal because of another restriction, including:

Parking-meter hours
Maximum parking time
No Parking
No Standing
No Stopping
Bus stops
Loading zones
Fire hydrant clearance
Driveways and curb cuts
School-day or school-hour rules
Construction or utility notices
Filming restrictions
Snow-operation notices
Special-event controls

The distinctions among parking, standing, and stopping can matter. Occupying the driver’s seat does not itself create a general exemption. Whether a particular activity is permitted depends on the exact sign and applicable rule.

Scenario 1: ASP and meter signs on the same pole

Suppose one sign prohibits parking for street cleaning from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, while another establishes metered parking from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

At 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, paying the meter does not make the space legal because the ASP restriction remains active until 10:00. At 10:15, the ASP window has ended, but the meter rule may require payment. Each sign governs a different condition, and compliance with one does not cancel the other.

Scenario 2: An arrow controls only part of the curb

Imagine a No Standing sign with an arrow pointing toward the intersection and an ASP sign governing the broader block. A vehicle parked on the arrow’s restricted side may remain illegally positioned even during an ASP suspension.

A space on the other side of that boundary may be outside the particular No Standing zone, but it can still be subject to ASP, a meter, hydrant clearance, a driveway, or a temporary notice. The vehicle’s precise position matters; being on the correct block is not enough.

The NYC DOT Parking Sign Locator can help with advance planning or with reviewing recorded block regulations later. It is a secondary tool, not a replacement for inspecting the physical curb. NYC311 cautions that the locator may not reflect new or temporary changes, and only one sign may be installed on a block, so drivers should inspect the entire block rather than relying on the closest marker shown online. NYC311 explains these sign and locator limitations.

The supplied evidence does not establish one universal legal priority protocol for every apparent conflict between an online record, permanent sign, and temporary notice. If current information appears inconsistent, do not leave the vehicle until the conflict has been clarified through 311 or the responsible city agency.

Normal days, Sundays, suspensions, and major legal holidays

ASP suspended does not mean free or unrestricted parking.

A suspension may remove only the street-cleaning restriction. Meters, time limits, hydrant clearance, bus stops, driveways, loading rules, and unrelated parking, standing, or stopping restrictions can remain active.

The treatment of a space depends on the type of day. The following comparison reflects NYC’s official ASP and major-holiday guidance. NYC311 explains the Sunday, suspension, and major-legal-holiday rules.

Type of day	ASP rule	Meters and time limits	Other curb restrictions
Normal ASP day	The posted street-cleaning restriction applies during its complete stated window.	Active where posted.	All applicable parking, standing, stopping, hydrant, bus-stop, driveway, school, loading, and temporary rules remain active.
Sunday	ASP is not in effect.	NYC parking meters do not require payment.	Hydrant, bus-stop, driveway, and seven-day restrictions still apply.
ASP-only suspension day	The posted street-cleaning rule is suspended.	Payment requirements and time limits generally remain active.	Unrelated No Parking, No Standing, No Stopping, loading, hydrant, school, and temporary rules remain active.
Major legal holiday	ASP is suspended.	Meters are suspended. Some restrictions that do not normally apply seven days a week are also suspended.	Rules effective seven days a week, including No Standing Anytime, remain enforceable.

NYC311 identifies six major legal holidays with broader parking effects:

New Year’s Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day

On those holidays, meters are not in effect, and certain parking, standing, and stopping restrictions are suspended if they do not normally apply seven days a week. A rule posted as effective seven days a week remains controlling.

That broader treatment does not apply to every civic, cultural, or religious observance on the ASP calendar. Many dates suspend street cleaning only. If an observance is not one of the major legal holidays, do not infer that a meter is free or that an unrelated No Parking sign has stopped applying.

Sunday is a separate category. ASP is not in effect and meter payment is not required, but the curb is not automatically legal. Hydrant clearance, bus stops, driveways, and seven-day restrictions still apply.

Holiday ASP suspensions ordinarily do not appear on permanent street-cleaning signs. A sign may continue to list Monday even when a Monday observance suspends ASP. Drivers therefore need both sources of information: the curb sign supplies the normal block rule, while the annual calendar and live official status identify citywide suspensions.

A useful test is to ask what would prohibit parking if the broom sign did not exist. If the answer is a meter, No Standing sign, hydrant, bus stop, driveway, loading rule, school rule, or temporary notice, an ASP-only suspension does not remove that obstacle.

The remaining 2026 alternate side parking suspension dates

The following planned suspensions remain after August 19, 2026. The dates come from the official NYC DOT 2026 Alternate Side Parking Rules Suspension Calendar. They are planning information, not a substitute for a live same-day check.

Month	Planned suspension dates after August 19	Major legal holiday?
September	Monday, September 7 — Labor Day; September 12–13; September 21; September 26–27	September 7 is a major legal holiday. The other dates are ASP suspensions, not broad meter suspensions merely because they appear here.
October	October 3–4; October 12	None is one of NYC311’s six listed major legal holidays.
November	November 1; November 3; November 8; November 11; November 26 — Thanksgiving Day	November 26 is a major legal holiday.
December	December 8; December 25 — Christmas Day	December 25 is a major legal holiday.

Labor Day on Monday, September 7, 2026, is the next planned suspension after August 19. A live check remains necessary because an annual calendar cannot account for every emergency, weather event, or localized operational change.

Several listed dates fall on Sundays, when ASP is not in effect in any event. Their appearance in the published holiday schedule does not change the broader Sunday rule.

Do not equate “listed ASP holiday” with “major legal holiday.” September 12, for example, is on the ASP suspension calendar, but its inclusion alone does not suspend meters. Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day receive the broader major-holiday treatment described above.

Religious and cultural observances can move from year to year. The 2026 dates should not be reused for 2027 or another year. Even fixed-date holidays can fall on different weekdays, changing how they interact with a block’s normal schedule.

A static calendar answers only whether a citywide suspension was planned. It cannot always tell you:

Whether an emergency suspension was announced that morning
Whether a planned suspension was revised
Whether a localized sign update affects the block
Whether a temporary notice prohibits parking
Whether the precise curb has ASP that weekday
Whether a separate meter or standing restriction remains active

For a time-sensitive parking decision, verify both the live official status and the physical curb conditions.

When to move, when to return, and what the grace period means

Move the vehicle before the start time printed on the ASP sign. Do not plan around the grace period, an expected sweeper route, or what other drivers appear to be doing.

ASP remains in force for the entire posted period, even after the street sweeper has passed. If the sign runs from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. and the sweeper passes at 9:05, the ASP restriction continues until 10:00. Returning at 9:10 is not made legal by the sweeper’s departure.

NYC provides a five-minute grace period immediately after the posted ASP start time. During those five minutes, an ASP ticket cannot be issued; after that period, enforcement may begin. For an 8:30 a.m. restriction, the protection covers the first five minutes after 8:30, but the restriction still lasts until its posted end time. Passenger vehicles also may not double-park during street cleaning, regardless of purpose or duration.

The five-minute grace period does not:

Change an 8:30 start to 8:35
Recommend waiting until the last moment
Guarantee that moving at 8:34 will be practical or safe
Allow a vehicle to return five minutes before the posted end
Shorten a restriction ending at 10:00 to 9:55
Cancel another rule that starts at 8:30

The reliable plan is to be legally parked elsewhere before the posted start. The grace period concerns when an ASP summons may be issued; it is not a recommended parking strategy.

There is a separate grace period for new ASP signs, which should not be confused with the five-minute rule. After new signs establish a changed schedule, DSNY provides a one-week period during which the street is cleaned under that new schedule but summonses are not issued for it, according to NYC DOT’s ASP guidance.

Grace period	When it applies	What it does not do
Five-minute start-time grace period	Immediately after an existing ASP restriction’s posted start time	It does not change the full restriction window or permit an early return.
One-week new-sign summons grace period	After newly installed ASP signs establish a new schedule	It does not delay cleaning; cleaning follows the new schedule during that week.

Remaining inside a vehicle does not itself create an exemption. Drivers should avoid broader assumptions about parking, standing, or stopping and instead follow the exact restriction controlling the location.

A practical checklist for avoiding street-parking mistakes

Use this checklist when parking on an unfamiliar NYC street, and repeat the time-sensitive steps before an ASP window begins.

Check the citywide status

Confirm whether ASP is in effect or suspended through an official NYC channel.
Verify the correct calendar date.
Look for a current timestamp rather than relying on a screenshot or search snippet.
Recheck near the restriction time during severe weather, snow, or an emergency.
Remember that “in effect” activates posted rules; it does not create one schedule for every block.

Inspect the whole block

Look beyond the sign immediately beside the vehicle.
Confirm that the sign governs your side of the street.
Follow every directional arrow.
Check whether an intersection, driveway, bus stop, curb cut, or sign boundary changes the legal area.
Do not assume a row of parked cars proves that the space is legal.

Read the complete ASP rule

Match the posted weekday to the date.
Read both the start and end times.
Note whether the schedule differs on another day.
Plan to move before the start instead of relying on the five-minute grace period.
Do not return until the complete window has ended.

Read every stacked sign

Check separately for:

Meter hours and payment requirements
Maximum parking duration
No Parking rules
No Standing rules
No Stopping rules
Loading zones
Bus stops
School-day or school-hour restrictions
Seven-day and “Anytime” restrictions

A lower ASP sign does not cancel an upper No Standing sign. Meter payment does not override street cleaning. An ASP suspension does not erase an unrelated restriction.

Inspect the curb and surroundings

Look for:

Fire hydrants
Driveways and curb cuts
Bus-stop areas
Loading activity
Construction barriers
Utility work
Filming notices
Snow-operation signs
Special-event postings
Recently installed, altered, or covered signs

Parking within 15 feet of either side of a fire hydrant is illegal, and painted curb markings do not determine the required clearance. Paint may be longer, shorter, faded, or absent; the legal distance controls under the official NYC DOT parking guidance.

Create a workable exit plan

Set a reminder well before the restriction begins.
Allow time to reach the vehicle and find another legal space.
Account for snow removal or other delays when relevant.
Identify a backup street before the cleaning period.
Consider a legal off-street option if the neighborhood is unfamiliar or curb space is scarce.
If using a rental car, keep its return schedule in mind without delaying the required move.

These are practical planning suggestions, not additional legal requirements. Their purpose is to prevent a last-minute parking decision under time pressure.

Common error: following other parked cars

A line of vehicles does not prove that parking is legal. Other drivers may have missed the sign, may be preparing to move, or may be subject to a rule that does not apply to your vehicle. Read the curb for yourself.

Common error: returning when the sweeper passes

The sweeper’s departure does not end the posted restriction. If the sign says 8:30–10:00 a.m., remain away until 10:00 and then check whether another rule takes over.

Common error: treating a holiday as free parking

Determine whether the date is an ASP-only suspension, a Sunday, or a major legal holiday. On an ASP-only suspension day, meters and time limits generally remain active. Even on a major legal holiday, seven-day restrictions remain enforceable.

Common error: relying only on an online map

An online sign record can help with planning but may omit a newly installed sign or temporary notice. Inspect the physical block every time. If online information and the curb appear inconsistent, contact 311 or the responsible agency rather than assuming the map controls.

Common error: assuming every violation has the same consequence

Do not base a parking decision on an unofficial ticket estimate. The supplied third-party figures conflict, and this guide does not have a current official fine schedule resolving them. Consequences can depend on the violation and circumstances; it is also inaccurate to assume that every violation automatically results in a ticket or tow.

The useful question is not whether taking a chance might be cheaper. It is whether the vehicle may legally remain at that exact location for the entire time it will be unattended.

Temporary and neighborhood-specific changes: the Prospect Heights pilot

Dated local alert: Reported August 3, 2026. This is not a citywide ASP policy change.

PIX11 reported that a temporary pilot reduced ASP enforcement from twice weekly to once weekly on 12 specified Prospect Heights street segments through September 25, 2026. Existing signs reportedly remain unchanged, while enforcement is limited to a designated Thursday or Friday cleaning day for each participating segment. The supplied evidence does not include the underlying official block-by-block pilot notice. PIX11 reported the pilot details on August 3, 2026.

The reported segments are:

Pacific Street from Grand Avenue to Vanderbilt Avenue
Dean Street from Vanderbilt Avenue to Grand Avenue
Bergen Street from Grand Avenue to Vanderbilt Avenue
St. Marks Avenue from Vanderbilt Avenue to Grand Avenue
Prospect Place from Grand Avenue to Vanderbilt Avenue
Park Place from Vanderbilt Avenue to Grand Avenue
Sterling Place from Washington Avenue to Vanderbilt Avenue
St. John’s Place from Plaza Street East to Washington Avenue
Lincoln Place from Washington Avenue to Underhill Avenue
Butler Place from Plaza Street East to Sterling Place
Underhill Avenue from Eastern Parkway to Atlantic Avenue
Washington Avenue from Prospect Place to Atlantic Avenue

Do not assign Thursday or Friday to an individual segment based on this article. The report says enforcement is restricted to designated Thursday or Friday cleaning days but does not provide an official segment-by-segment schedule.

Because the permanent signs reportedly remain unchanged, they may display more ASP days than the pilot is enforcing. Affected drivers should seek current official local confirmation through 311, a sanitation notice, or information distributed specifically for the pilot area. Neither an unchanged sign nor the news report alone establishes an individual segment’s designated pilot day.

The pilot is intended to test whether once-weekly cleaning can maintain street cleanliness while reducing how often residents must move their vehicles. That is the question being evaluated, not an established result.

The alert applies only to the 12 reported segments. It should not be generalized to all of Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, or New York City. The supplied evidence also does not establish what schedule will apply after September 25, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is alternate side parking in effect in NYC today?

This article does not report a verified status for August 19, 2026 because no live same-day check was performed. Use NYC311 Online, the NYC311 app, NYC DOT, or @NYCASP and confirm that the result is dated and timestamped for the period when you plan to park.

Even when ASP is in effect citywide, a vehicle needs to move only when the ASP sign controlling its exact curb applies on that day and during the time the vehicle will be there.

Can I park again as soon as the street sweeper passes?

No. ASP remains in force until the end time printed on the sign, even if the sweeper has already passed. If the posted period is 8:30–10:00 a.m., do not return at 9:15 merely because cleaning appears complete.

At the posted end time, check whether a meter, time limit, loading rule, school restriction, or another regulation becomes controlling.

Do I have to pay a meter when alternate side parking is suspended?

Usually, yes. An ordinary ASP suspension generally suspends only the street-cleaning restriction. Meter payment, meter time limits, and unrelated parking, standing, and stopping rules remain active unless an official announcement says otherwise.

Meters are not in effect on Sundays or major legal holidays. Not every date on the ASP suspension calendar is a major legal holiday.

Is alternate side parking in effect on Sundays in NYC?

No. ASP is not in effect on Sundays, and NYC parking meters do not require payment on Sundays. Other rules still apply, including hydrant clearance, bus stops, driveways, and restrictions posted for seven days a week.

Can passenger vehicles double-park during street cleaning?

No. Passenger vehicles may not double-park during street cleaning, regardless of purpose or duration. Waiting for the sweeper does not create an exception, and occupying the vehicle does not itself legalize an otherwise prohibited position.

Use the same three-step rule whenever you park: check the live official ASP status, read every sign governing the exact curb, and confirm that no separate or temporary restriction still applies. A static calendar cannot establish today’s status, a passed sweeper does not end the posted window, and an ASP suspension alone does not make a parking space unrestricted.