NYC Guide
Alternate-side parking, explained
The broom sign runs half of New York’s parking anxiety. Here is exactly how alternate-side parking works, when it’s suspended, and the one detail that gets everyone ticketed.
Is alternate-side parking suspended today?
No suspension is scheduled for today.
Saturday, August 1, 2026
Today isn’t on the city’s published alternate-side holiday calendar, so plan on normal street-cleaning rules and check your block’s sign for its window.
That’s the scheduled list only. New York also suspends alternate-side at short notice for snow and severe weather. Those calls are made the same morning and appear on no calendar, including ours — so we can tell you nothing is scheduled, but we can’t tell you today definitely isn’t suspended. If the weather is bad, check the city’s alternate-side page before you assume.
From NYC’s published alternate-side calendar · checked 5:06 PM New York time · city source
Next scheduled suspensions
- Sat, Aug 15Feast of the Assumption
- Mon, Sep 7Labor Day
- Sat, Sep 12 – Sun, Sep 13Rosh Hashanah
- Mon, Sep 21Yom Kippur
- Sat, Sep 26 – Sun, Sep 27Sukkot (2 Days)
Scheduled citywide holiday suspensions. Sundays are excluded from the list — cleaning never runs then.
What the broom sign is actually telling you
Alternate-side parking (ASP) exists so the street sweeper can reach the curb. During the posted window — shown on the sign next to a broom icon, with days and times — you have to move your car off that side of the street. When the window ends, the curb is usually fair game again (assuming no other sign says otherwise).
Windows are typically 90 minutes and run once or twice a week per side, so the two sides of a street are cleaned on different days — hence “alternate side.”
When ASP is suspended
Alternate-side rules are suspended on:
- Every Sunday.
- A long list of legal and religious holidays the NYC DOT publishes as an annual ASP calendar.
- Snow emergencies and certain severe-weather days.
On a suspended day you do not have to move for street cleaning. But suspension is specific to the cleaning rule — it does not erase No Standing, No Parking, or metered rules on the same block.
The detail that gets everyone ticketed
ASP resumes on the next regularly scheduled day. The classic mistake: you park before a holiday, enjoy a suspended stretch, and leave the car sitting — then the sweeper comes the following morning and you have a ticket by 9 AM. Suspension is a pause, not a reset. Always know when your block’s next cleaning window is.
How SpotTrove handles it
SpotTrove reads each block’s cleaning schedule and folds it into a single live answer, in NYC local time. Park, save the spot, and Premium sends a heads-up before the next street-cleaning window opens — so “I forgot it resumed today” stops costing you $65. The core map, including the color-coded legality, is free.
SpotTrove is a guide, not a guarantee. The physical sign on the pole is always the final word — and if ours looks wrong, report it in a tap.
Frequently asked questions
What does alternate-side parking mean in NYC?
Alternate-side parking (ASP) requires you to move your parked car off one side of the street during a posted window so the street sweeper can clean the curb. The sign shows a broom icon plus the days and times the rule applies. Once the window ends, you can usually park there again.
When is alternate-side parking suspended in NYC?
ASP is suspended every Sunday and on a long list of legal and religious holidays that the NYC Department of Transportation publishes as an annual calendar. The city also suspends ASP for snow emergencies and certain weather events. When ASP is suspended, you do not have to move your car for street cleaning that day.
If alternate-side parking is suspended today, do I still have to feed the meter?
Usually yes, unless it is also a day meters are free. ASP suspension only pauses the street-cleaning move requirement. Metered parking is separately free on Sundays and major holidays, but on a regular suspended day the meters can still run — read the meter sign.
When do alternate-side rules resume after a holiday?
On the next regularly scheduled cleaning day for your block. The most common street-cleaning ticket comes from drivers who leave the car parked through a suspension and forget that normal rules snap back the very next posted day.
How do I know if alternate-side parking is suspended today?
There are two separate things to check. First, the scheduled calendar: NYC DOT publishes a list of legal and religious holidays a year in advance, and the status block at the top of this page checks today against it. Second, short-notice suspensions: the city also calls off alternate-side for snow and severe weather on the morning itself, and those are on no calendar. So a day with no scheduled suspension can still end up suspended — if the weather is bad, confirm with the city before leaving the car.
New to NYC signs generally? Start with our guide to reading NYC parking signs.
Never guess a street-cleaning day again.
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