Parking permits with a half-life

[karenjulip.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to add another parking-related post, but I have a question. Is it common knowledge that when you move to Somerville and get a parking permit it's only good for 6 months, even though you pay full price? I didn't know that. Does anyone know the reason for this, I mean other than the fact that the parking office is trying to get as much of our money as possible?

Thanks!

Comments

[ron_newman]

I believe the expiration date depends entirely on what section of the city you have moved to.

[karenjulip.livejournal.com]

Interesting! I had no idea. Thanks so much.

[inahandbasket]

Yup, this.

[karenjulip.livejournal.com]

Oops- sorry, I forgot to add the parking tag. I'm trying to do that now...

[ron_newman]

I already did. (I have a notification set up to e-mail me whenever someone makes a new post here, so I often get to tagging before anyone else does.)

[karenjulip.livejournal.com]

Thanks!!

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

They expire by region, not by when you buy them. You moved to a region where they expired six months later.

This is so that the great big hugely visible numeral on your pass tells the ticket folks both when it expires *and* what part of town it's from, without having to lean over your car reading fine print to do so.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

what part of town it's from

Why would they need to know that?

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

Presumably as an abuse-spotting heuristic, though maybe not.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Because you're only covered by the pass in the neighbourhood you live in. If you live in Area 3, but park in Area 5, you're at risk of getting a ticket.

[aquaflame16.livejournal.com]

nope, not in somerville. Visitor permits are limited to the area around the house they're issued to. Resident permits are not.
from: http://faqs.somervillema.intelligovsoftware.com/whyneedsticker.aspx
"Question: Why do I need a permit-parking sticker?
Answer: Permits allow resident to park on any Resident Permit Parking Street in the city without receiving a ticket."

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

I actually meant the visitor passes. I don't have a car so I don't know about the stickers.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

That's actually what I meant...I don't know anything about the stickers. I was thinking of visitor passes since they're the only ones I've ever used.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Incorrect.

Absolutely and utterly incorrect. The permits are good for the entire city - because they sure don't change which number permit you get when you move.

[solarpanda.livejournal.com]

Permits are good for the entire city, but they do change the number when you move (as they just did with mine). Luckily, they don't screw you and give you at least a year before you have to change it again.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Anecdotal evidence - I have moved twice in the city, way out of "district", and they have not changed my sticker number yet.

I have asked the ladies at T&P, and they just said to me "do you want a sticker that will expire in four months, or the one that will expire at the same time of year as your first one? your call, buddy"

[solarpanda.livejournal.com]

Mine's anecdotal as well. I'm done trying to figure out how the T&P works. :)

[ron_newman]

Not true. Only visitor passes are zoned, not regular parking passes.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Yeah that's what I was thinking of when I said that. I've only ever had visitor passes, so I don't know from stickers.

[mrboboto.livejournal.com]

Something I've always wondered- it says on the city's website that a permit is good for ALL residential streets, not just streets in your neighborhood. Given that, why does it matter what area your permit is from?

[rmd.livejournal.com]

it just matters because that's how they handle expirations. this way renewals are spread across the year and not one giant post-office-at-april-14th sort of crush.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

well, they could do this by simply having permits issued for one year, starting from date of issue, no matter where you live (which is what happens anyway, if you move within the city).

[ron_newman]

Sounds good, but I bet it would result in huge spikes for June and September.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

this is likely true :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_meej_/]

The above has answered the basics. I could've sworn, though, at one point when I moved (within Somerville, so that may be why) the new district's pass (only good for a few months) was prorated down to even more ridiculously inexpensive... Maybe I'm just misremembering that? Given how reasonable the rates are, it certainly seems unnecessary.

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

500% inflation this year! ($5, rather than just $1)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_meej_/]

I think that's the guest passes, though... No?

[sapphira-altair.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's for guest passes.

Although, I think I paid $10 for the resident sticker when I moved here last fall, and this time around it's $15. But I might be imagining that. :)

[karenjulip.livejournal.com]

I think you're right. I paid 25$ for a permit and 2 visitor passes.

[sapphira-altair.livejournal.com]

Oh, I meant I might be imagining that I only paid $10 last time - at that point I paid so much for my car (changing registration to MA, getting a MA license, and THEN parking permits) that whatever I did pay was nothing in comparison to the other costs. :)

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

You're not imagining it. They did raise the price from $10 to $15.

[soft-shoulder.livejournal.com]

Omgosh, don't forget the vehicle excise tax you paid for the privilege of driving in Mass! I just switched everything over myself what a nightmare. By the time you get in line at the parking office youre like what? $15? That's all you want from me? Only $5 for visitors really? Heck, I don't have friends in town but give me two!

[solarpanda.livejournal.com]

Not sure about that--I just moved within Somerville and got a new sticker that gave me more than a year, rather than the remaining months...

Random, thread-jacking question...

[bryelejr.livejournal.com]

Apologies ahead of time, but a question I had that relates to this:

I live on one of the few residential non-permit parking streets in Somerville. This basically means that anyone who doesn't have a permit (whether they're still registered out of state, out of town, etc) but is looking for somewhere to park will migrate over to my street.

Is it possible since I have residency here and since I have my car registered in Somerville to get a permit even though I don't live on a permit parking street? The streets I'm surrounded by are permit only, and sometimes I can't get a spot on my street because everyone else is parked there.

I'm sure this is incredibly random, but thanks to anyone who can give advice/input into this issue...

Re: Random, thread-jacking question...

[bettyw.livejournal.com]

When I lived in Somerville my neighborhood did not require resident permits, but I still got one for for venturing elsewhere - you just don't need to get any visitor passes :)

Re: Random, thread-jacking question...

[bryelejr.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the quick reply! GREAT to know.

Re: Random, thread-jacking question...

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

I have a resident parking sticker, and I don't live on a resident parking street. It comes in handy when I want to park in other parts of the city.

However, I wasn't able to get visitors passes for guests, even though there is often no parking on my street, and the best place to park (around the corner) is resident parking. So your visitors might be out of luck. But you aren't.

Re: Random, thread-jacking question...

[bryelejr.livejournal.com]

Awesome, I had no idea. Thank you both!

Most of my friends don't have cars, and I barely drive as it is. I'd get rid of the car if I didn't occasionally need it for work (and I could afford to deal with ZipCar!) But it's good to know I can park around the corner now without fear of reprisal if all the good spots are taken.

Re: Random, thread-jacking question...

[ron_newman]

Yes, anyone who can prove they have a car registered in Somerville can get a resident permit. I had one for years even though, at the time, Kent Street was not a permit street.

Re: Random, thread-jacking question...

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

But you can't get a visitor permit if you live on a non-permit street.

Re: Random, thread-jacking question...

[ron_newman]

You may be able to if you live at the corner of a permit and a non-permit street, though. I recall doing so when I was on Kent.

[rainbow-spork.livejournal.com]

Can I just take a moment to say how glad I am that I live on the Cambridge side of Davis and don't have to deal with Somerville's totally insane parking and traffic and snow emergency rules?