TROY – Parking downtown feels like an absurd, frustrating trap to Zack Cohen, who lives downtown and works nights.

Cohen said he was told by city officials to get a parking permit for a space in a garage but then was advised there’s a waiting list – even though there’s 100 to 120 empty spaces every weekday in the Fifth Avenue Garage where there’s 369 spots and a waiting list of 87 people. Those empty spaces don’t include the ones the city uses to park police cars, code enforcement cars and parking enforcement cars.

“It seems like they feign compassion. They’re saying figure it out – take a risk on getting a ticket or pay $180 a month,” said Cohen, 33, a professional musician who’s lived in a Third Street apartment since 2008.

Cohen said the 8 a.m.-to-5 p.m. period when meters have to be paid doesn’t take into account people who work nights such as himself, nurses, waitstaff and bartenders and would be sleeping. He said not every downtown resident leaves to work a 9-to-5 job

With on-street parking in the downtown at $1 per hour from 8 a.m.to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Cohen would have to pay $180 every four weeks. The other alternative, Cohen said, is "park far away from where you live.”

More Information The city of Troy has five downtown parking lots and two parking garages. Below are the locations, the maximum parking capacity, the spaces used and the number of people on the waiting list for each lot or garage Congress Street Parking Lot Location: Intersection of Congress Street and 5th Avenue Lot Maximum: 45 Total Permits Sold: 16 Waiting List: 0 Fifth Avenue Parking Garage Location: 5th Avenue between Broadway and State Street Lot Maximum: 369 Total Permits Sold: 173 (50 City of Troy, 127 US Postal Service) Waiting List: 87 Front Street Parking Lot Location: Front Street adjacent to Riverfront Park Lot Maximum: 78 Total Permits Sold: 73 Waiting List: 79 Fourth Street Parking Lot Location: Intersection of 4th Street and Ferry Street Lot Maximum: 32 Total Permits Sold: 18 Waiting List: 3 State Street Parking Garage Location: Intersection of State Street and River Street Lot Maximum: 231 Total Permits Sold: 222 Waiting List: 95 Green Island Parking Lot Location: North of Green Island Bridge Lot Maximum: 135 Total Permits Sold: 29 (84 City of Troy) Waiting List: 0 Y Lot Location: 1st Street between River and State Streets Lot Maximum: 69 Total Permits Sold: 64 (32 spots privately owned) Waiting List: 75 Source: City of Troy See More Collapse

The city’s goal when the parking kiosks were redeployed to blanket downtown in a uniform manner was to create a system where there was better use of parking both on the streets and in its parking lots and garages, and creating a turnover to make parking available to shoppers and visitors downtown.

The city has 5,874 downtown parking spots, according to a 2016 downtown parking study. There are 1,620 on-street parking spaces and 4,254 off-street spaces. The city has 959 spaces spread throughout four parking lots and two parking garages with 883 taken and a waiting list of 339 people, according to its figures. The city controls 44 percent of the spaces. The majority of the off-street parking spaces are in private lots and garages.

“There’s a lot of people that like it and a lot that hate it,” said Katie Hammon, executive director of the Troy Downtown Business Improvement District.

David Langer of Troy Cloth & Paper at 38 Third St. said the parking kiosks are bad for business and don’t easily display the information. He said customers are angry about it and he’s has to let employees run out of work to move their vehicles to avoid getting ticketed.

Langer has even posted signs on the meter out front advising “Read the Meter Instructions Carefully. Parking meters are only enforced Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.”

The city is following the parking program outlined in the 2016 study. The city doesn’t have firm deadlines for resolving parking issues as it slowly implements better signage to direct people to parking, studies how parking is used on the street and in its lots and garages; works to realign street parking spaces; and in tackling issues raised by residents and businesses.

The city aims to complete its sign system by the end of the summer. The data from the parking meters use should be completed by the end of the year. And the city is slowly reviewing the use of its parking lots and garages.

“It’s an ongoing program. It’s really hard to make every single person happy,” said Deputy Mayor Monica Kurzejeski.

Mayor Patrick Madden’s administration has formed a parking advisory committee to learn what residents and businesses want. Hammon and Cohen are both on it. Kurzwejeski said when Cohen came to City Hall to complain she took him to the planning department get him on the committee. The committee contains both critics and supporters, she said.

The committee has met once a few weeks ago. Cohen said he was not confident that it will deal with the issues residents face. He has started an online petition opposing the current situation and addressed the City Council.

Democratic and Republican City Council leaders said some sort of permit system may be needed to take into account people who work at night.

“If some change doesn’t come soon, I’m open to enacting legislation,” promised Councilman Anasha Cummings, who represents the 4th Council District which includes downtown, and is the ranking Democrat.

“The city should explore a residential parking permit system downtown with input from its residents and report back to the council. The city administration should always keep the City Council apprised on a quarterly basis (about the parking situation),” City Council President Carmella Mantello, a Republican, said.

Cummings said he will work with the administration to find a solution. He envisions a system in which a resident could buy a monthly permit that would be good for either off-street parking in a city garage or lot as well as on-street parking. He said this would protect residents who need parking while providing spaces for shoppers and visitors.

Cummings said he has monitored the Fifth Avenue garage and routinely counts as many as 120 vacant spots.

“This is a problem of parking utilization, not parking availability,” Cummings said.

The deputy mayor said the city is trying to determine why there are so many available spots that have been paid for at a rate of $60 per month, but are not used.

“We’re looking at the utilization,” Kurzejeski said. “ You have to have data.”