COHOES – It is now legal in the City of Cohoes to get the boot. The Cohoes Common Council has approved a local ordinance that includes immobilization devices to assist the city in an effort to encourage parking ticket collections. 

The device, also known as a “Boot", will be utilized in circumstances when repeat violators have either three or more unpaid parking tickets and/or more than $150 in fines.

Parking ticket collection in the city has been a challenge due to the nature of the tickets which are issued in neighborhoods where there is an extraordinary turnover of residents. These circumstances have lead to situations where violators did not feel compelled to pay their fines.

"This is a continued effort to increase compliance with the parking regulations in the City as well as increase payments on outstanding fines. The implementation of the Boot will work to reinforce these efforts," said Mayor John McDonald III.

The legislation takes effect August 1, however, violators will be sent one final notice before the effective date in order to alert those in non compliance and hopefully avoid the placement of the device.