Hempstead, N.Y. – Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi, joined by Deputy County Executive for Public Safety Timothy Driscoll, Traffic and Parking Violations Agency (TPVA) Executive Directive Patricia Reilly and Commissioner of Information Technology Robert Checca, today announced a bold program of enhanced customer service along with significant improvements in business operations at TPVA, marking a dramatic turnaround at a troubled agency. Also announced was the department’s first amnesty program, “Last Chance to Pay,” which will be launched February 15.

“The Traffic and Parking Violations Agency was the a perfect symbol of the Nassau County we inherited three years ago – roof leaking, thousands of old tickets stuffed in drawers and no system or organization in place to meet basic tasks.  Three years ago almost to the day, the headlines said ‘No Fix in Sight,’” said the County Executive.  “Today, we are proud to announce that we have fixed many of the problems that plagued this important agency for years, and will continue working hard until the job is complete.”

“We know a visit to TPVA is not something people do by a choice, but it should be convenient, welcoming and efficient for anyone who does have business to tend to,” said Pat Reilly.  “We are pleased with the progress we have made – both operationally and with respect to customer service – but we know we still have work to do.”

Among the enhanced customer service initiatives announced today are extended hours, including earlier morning hours (now open 8:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday); evening hours (now open Tuesday and Wednesday evenings until 8:30 p.m. and as of April 4, TPVA will be open until 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday evenings); and Saturday hours (now open 8:30 to noon and as of April 2nd, TPVA will be open Saturdays from 8:30 to 4 p.m.).  In addition, credit cards are now accepted for paying of both traffic and parking tickets in person, and also for paying parking tickets online or by telephone.  Gone are the days when cash was the only form of payment, with personal checks accepted as well.  Finally, TPVA has installed a bi-lingual telephone system and has bi-lingual telephone operators.  Those interested in paying online should visit www.nassaucountyny.gov/tpva.

“As the County continues to build out our eGovernment program, we are delighted to deliver this ability to TPVA to make the agency more convenient to the public,” said IT Commissioner Checca.  “Working with our local software development firm, Neulion, we are confident that as this service becomes better known and more popular, we will see substantial traffic on the County website by residents wanting to take advantage of it.”

Since the County began aggressively managing the Agency that it didn’t actually control until 2003, revenues have gone up significantly, with a 22% increase from 2003 to 2004, when TPVA brought $11.8 million in revenues to the County.  In fact, there has been a 37% increase in revenues since 2001 and overall revenues over the last three years are 40% over the prior three years.  This is due to management and operations changes, including more conferences being held, being open more hours and a more aggressive billing process by TPVA as well as its outside collections agency, Law Enforcement Systems. 

Operationally TPVA has also seen a noticeable drop in the number of conferences and trial held with a substantial 437% jump between 2001, when 13,563 conferences and trails took place, to 2004 when that number hit 59,338.  In addition, the conference and trial backlog has also dropped – in 2001, there was a more than a two year waiting period after answering a ticket in person or mailing in a “not guilty” plea.  In 2005, ticket respondents will have a same day conference when answering in person or a less than nine month wait when mailing in a “not guilty” plea.  TPVA has an ambitious goal of six months for a conference and nine months for a trial.

County officials today also announced “Last Chance to Pay,” TPVA’s first ever amnesty program.  More than 220,000 of the approximately 350,000 outstanding parking tickets issued between 1995 and 2002 will be eligible for this program, which will allow the defendant to pay 50% of the total amount due within 30 days of receiving letters that are set to go out the week of February 15th.  Among the consequences for those delinquent ticket holders who do not comply will be having their registration renewal rights blocked by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and their cars will be put on a tow list. 

“Our hope and our plan is that by making TPVA an easier place to do business, we will bring the agency and our customers to a place where we don’t have to do the parts of our job that are less pleasant, but unfortunately, necessary,” said Reilly. 

CLICK HERE for Nassau County's Pay Parking Tickets Online eService