NYC Parks Department To Cut Annual Tennis Fees in Half

December 15, 2016 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation announced this week that it will be cutting the costs of its annual adult tennis permit in half.

The department plans to drop the yearly cost from $200 down to $100, thanks in part to years of complaints from New Yorkers about the cost.

“As host of the U.S. Open, New York City is one of the great global tennis cities—and with 550 tennis courts, there are opportunities to play in nearly every neighborhood,” said Parks Commisioner Mitchel J. Silver. “Now we’re advancing our vision for equity and accessibility by cutting adult fees in half, and making registration easier than ever.”

An adult permit once cost just $50 annually, but rose up to $100 in 2003, and doubles once again in 2011. As a result, there was a decrease, nearly 50 percent, in the amount of permits purchased from 2012-2012.

“The mission of the Parks Department is to provide services, not to collect revenue,” Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates told Gothamist earlier this year. “It is discriminatory and it prevents middle class and poor people from experiencing tennis.”

The proposed permit cost cuts are set to begin in early 2017.

“These changes make tennis more affordable and more accessible,” said Corey Johnson, a City Council Member who is head of the Committee on Health. “They’re truly an asset to the health and happiness of our citizens.”

Click Here to learn more about how to get a yearly tennis permit.


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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