Update on Holland Street Parking and Other Matters

[tomchampion.livejournal.com]

After the disastrous problem I encountered the last time I tried to check out information for this group, I wanted to take my time and be doubly sure before providing a response to yesterday's posting about street sweeping tickets issued on Holland Street in the small hours of Wednesday morning.

Thanks to a thorough review of this matter by T&P Director Jim Kotzuba (who says “hello” even to those of you who say that his department “sucks ass”), here is what I can tell you:

1. The odd-numbered side of Holland Street (the side on which PJ Ryan’s is located) is posted for street sweeping every other WEDNESDAY. It is the EVEN-NUMBERED side of the street that is posted for MONDAYS. This has been the case for years, and it is also the case along other major arterial roadways (such as Highland Avenue).
2. Presumably, the PCO (parking control officer) voided on_reserve’s ticket because on_reserve appeared on the curb – ready, willing, and able to drive away, clearly not planning to stand in the way of the street sweeper – and the PCO decided to give a resident a break. It certainly appears, however, that tickets issued on the odd side of Holland Street after midnight on Wednesday (there were fewer than 10 in all) were valid and correct.
3. No tickets were written for the opposite side of the street. T&P will, however, review the tickets from that route and shift, and will void any tickets written in error, sending correspondence to anyone who was affected. In other words, if it’s clear that a ticket was written in error, no further action will be required on the part of the vehicle owner and he/she will receive written confirmation that the violation has been voided.
4. The PCO was entirely right simply to tell on_reserve that, if drivers believed their tickets were issued in error, they should appeal them. For obvious reasons, PCOs are trained not to get into curbside disputes or lengthy discussions with drivers.

Other miscellaneous points:

1. The impact of street-sweeping parking regulations on businesses that operate past midnight is mitigated by the fact that only one side of the street has sweeping regulations in effect on any given night (and, even then, only four nights per month). These are long-established regulations of which local bars can — and should be – well aware. They pose no great hardship in terms of the availability of parking although, admittedly, people who start drinking at, say, 9 p.m. probably don’t look at the parking signs closely when they come in and wouldn’t know they had to move their cars at midnight unless the bartender prompted them. But from April to December, the streets must be cleaned and these rules are clear, consistent, and longstanding.
2. As to the assertion that the city is “running a racket” with street sweeping regulations: It’s worth noting that 3,378 fewer street sweeping tickets were written in FY2008 (the fiscal year just ended on June 30th) than in FY2007 – even though there were more PCOs on the street. That’s a nine percent decline and, presumably, a sign of better compliance.
3. Nobody showed up at the Mayor’s Diesel Café office hour to discuss parking policies or anything else. Not one single soul.

Comments

[ron_newman]

How was the mayor's office hour publicized? I got an e-mail from Stephanie Hirsch around 12:30 yesterday afternoon, which I promptly posted to davis_square. But that's less than 6 hours notice.

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the update, Tom - it's always appreciated, and doubly so when backed up with statistics.

Nobody showed up at the Mayor’s Diesel Café office hour to discuss parking policies or anything else. Not one single soul.

I hadn't heard about this until the day of. While I hardly qualify as a bellwether of public awareness, perhaps a slightly louder announcement next time around?

[ron_newman]

Google street-view unfortunately doesn't have quite high enough resolution to show the parking signs legibly. What I do see are meters. Do street-sweeping rules apply to metered spaces?

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

That's sad that nobody showed up to talk with the Mayor. Now I really wish I'd gone...

[thebostonreader.livejournal.com]

That's too bad about the office hour. I couldn't have gone anyway, but I'd have thought there would be some cranks who could make it in even on short notice. I think it's a great idea - I hope it happens again, on a night I can go (I work evenings Tues.-Thurs.).

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

I was actually in Diesel around that time yesterday and just saw people staring into their laptops.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

I'll pledge to show up the next time he takes an office hour. What the hell, I'd like to meet the mayor.

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Yeah - Tom makes it sound like the Mayor was lonely, which is an amusing bit of imagination. Maybe he got a cup of tea, played some pool?

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Same.

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

May I ask a strange question, I never am able to get an answer out of the parking office.

Last year we got numerous commercial parking tickets on my husbands plumbing van. Completely fine as that was our fault and the rule is no commercial parking overnight. However, around the corner from my house is a plumber who parks his van EVERY night for the last two years on the street. I complained to the parking office and they told me under no circumstances is that allowed and I should report it when I see him there. Well I have done that and I swear nothing is ever done. I walk my dogs at night and early a.m. Ive never seen a ticket. Also he has a Somerville parking sticker in his window...how is that even possible when somerville doesnt issue parking stickers for commercial cars? I normally dont complain about stuff like this but it really annoys me especially since noone will give me an answer in the parking office.

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

It sounds as though stuff's in order over on Holland with the ticketing, which is good to hear. Thanks much for checking up on that!

Also, thank you to the Mayor for trying, at least, with the 'office hours' - though more advance notice would have improved turnout.

[tomchampion.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[cnoocy]

T&P Director Jim Kotzuba (who says “hello” even to those of you who say that his department “sucks ass”)

Jim Kotzuba is my hero for the day.

[ellf.livejournal.com]

"The odd-numbered side of Holland Street (the side on which PJ Ryan’s is located) is posted for street sweeping every other WEDNESDAY."

That seems to directly contradict what you saw on the sign. Maybe worth taking a photograph?

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

(Unrelated to this particular issue, I find that when I learn things like "The T is closed from Kendall to Park this weekend", I am always (unjustly, I know) disappointed that I haven't been called by Tom Champion to tell me!)

Mayor's Office Hour

[androidqueen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have to chime in here with everyone else. I couldn't make the office hour (1 single hour!) because I didn't hear about it until the last minute, and I have work. I think it's rather poor form to chastise the members of this community for not being able to reschedule their lives with only a few hours notice.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

He's probably heard a lot worse. Probably it's been said to his face.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

I was parked on the EVEN SIDE of the street. THAT is why my ticket was voided. I was standing RIGHT UNDER the sign that said "MONDAY" in huge blue letters (most of the rest of the sign was faded).

PCO voided my ticket but left other tickets on other cars that were parked on the EVEN/Monday side of the street. He did NOT void my ticket out of kindness but because it was WRONGLY ISSUED.

ARGH! I wasn't annoyed that much before but I am now!

Per #3 - Maybe if the Mayor gave more lead-time in announcing office hours, more people would have come.

Original comment deleted and re-posted due to odd/even mix-up. I was parked on the EVEN side of the street (In front of Angelina's/Sabur) and the tickets left on cars were on cars parked on that side. My friend just went to T&P today (in person) and had her ticket voided.

[ron_newman]

Hmm. My recollection is that meters aren't usually accompanied by street-sweeping parking signs, but I'll take another look.

[ron_newman]

He's pretty easy to meet if you go to local events. I even ran into him at the Davis Square CVS a month or two ago.

Re: Mayor's Office Hour

[svilletheatre.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't call what Tom wrote "chastising" but I suppose everyone takes things differently.

I don't know if some people are aware just how incredibly rare and positive it is that a city official takes the time to respond in such detail like this on a website of this nature - I seriously doubt this happens in most cities with our population, never mind small towns. This is DOUBLY amazing if you or your family grew up in Somerville and remember how, uh, shall we say, inaccessible this city was a generation ago when it came to stuff like this - it is like night and day.

Just my .02 cents:)

[ron_newman]

Now I'm confused, too. It was early Wednesday morning, and you and the car were under a sign that said Wednesday?

Re: Mayor's Office Hour

[tomchampion.livejournal.com]

Per usual, we put up a notice at Diesel, put notices in the local papers, put a notice on our website and ran the info on city cable and, as Ron pointed out, notified the ResiStat mailing groups, but we should have done this more than a week prior. Clearly, no one but ourselves to blame. 'Tis ever thus.

I sincerely apologize for giving the impression that I was chastising members of the group. I was responding to the stated intention of some posters to visit the mayor. Actually, I also expected that others not associated with DSLJ might turn out, but that didn't happen, either.

Still, I'm not arguing. It's our fault.

For future reference, the next scheduled Mayor's office hour is for August 12, location TBA.

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

Isnt Angelinas on the even side of the street though? Its like 232 or something close to it.

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

never mind i see your edits.