Drivers petitioning for changes with confusing 'no parking' sign in Brooklyn

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Confusing parking signs in Brooklyn are adding up to tens of thousands of dollars in tickets for New York City and headaches for drivers.

The tricky signage along Prospect Park West and 9th Street has proven to be an unsuspecting snare for hundreds of drivers in Brooklyn.

"Yes, I put the truck here and I got a ticket," a driver said.

"Come out the park, I had a ticket on my vehicle; it didn't state anything about no parking," said Jeanette Rentas, a driver.

At first glance they seem like legitimate parking spots until you take a closer look at a sign which states no parking between April 1st and September 30th.

According to city records, 625 tickets were issued during that span last year with the city raking in nearly $72,000 in fines.

"I didn't notice that sign because normally I know cars park here; I've seen cars park here throughout the year," said Anthony Bailey, a driver.

Greg Smithsimon received one of those $115 tickets and has since decided to take action.

"When I looked around not only was it badly designed but every time I came by this street there would be four cars in those spots and most of the time they would have tickets in their windshields," Smithsimon said. "I realized that I wasn't alone and it wasn't just me, it was something that a lot of people aren't seeing."

They say there's power in numbers and now Smithsimon is handing out fliers to anyone ticketed in this area asking them to sign his petition.

"There's really no way to stop one ticket, but I think there's a way for us to stop 600 tickets," Smithsimon said.

With the no parking signs only partially visible due to a bike lane sign, Smithsimon believes the city could make a few small inexpensive changes to better warn drivers.

"People are paying a lot in fines, why don't you paint 'No Parking' in the street there, why don't you put some stripes," Smithsimon said. "Admit that it could be improved, anything could be made better and everybody goes home happy."

A spokesperson with the Department of Transportation says: "While the current parking regulations are to support access to Prospect Park in warmer months, we are reviewing the current parking regulations and signage."