No more non-permit parking, according to the CoC

[witzwurst.livejournal.com]

The Somerville Chamber of Commerce has just posted a notice regarding some rather strident rule changes apparently implemented by the Traffic and Parking Commission last Thursday. There's no effective date as of yet, nor any official announcement from the City, although these items are all on the official agenda from last Thursday's meeting.

Full details (in PDF form) are here: http://www.somervillechamber.org/news_images/5_25_09/09newparkingregs.pdf

Highlights of the changes include:

• implementation of "Residential Permit Parking on all public streets in the City of Somerville Monday through Saturday, 24 hours"
• extension of meter hours to 10:00 PM in Davis Square and Magoun Square
• extension of meter hours to 8:00 PM in all other parts of Somerville
• a 100% increase in meter rates from $0.50/hr to $1.00/hr

This seems like a huge loss for those who work -- but don't reside -- in Somerville; they'll essentially no longer be able to park on City streets. Seems like an odd decision for a city trying to encourage business development. If you don't like the proposed changes, I strongly suggest you contact your alderperson.

Comments

[ron_newman]

Why Magoun? I don't think of that as a hotbed of evening entertainment.

If they extend the effective hours of meters I hope they also extend the amount of time you can feed the meter at once (to at least 4 hours instead of the current 2 or 3).

I also don't understand why the Traffic and Parking Commission thinks these changes would be good for either residents or businesses. The Board of Aldermen should consider overruling them or at least delaying them for more public input.

[witzwurst.livejournal.com]

A bit more digging turned up this article from March, when they were apparently only "investigating" it:

http://www.thesomervillenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=670&TM=10778.43

I really just don't understand the logic. Except, of course, the familiar quest for revenue.

no non-permit parking??

[rmd.livejournal.com]

it'll also be a problem for those who reside in the city and sometimes drive company vehicles home overnight, as some of my neighbors do.

Re: no non-permit parking??

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

There is guest permit parking as an option, though no parking of commercial vehicles is allowed overnight.

[ringrose.livejournal.com]

I like the fact that one of the streets my house is on is not permit-only. I find it convenient. Our street had a petition started to make it permit required like most of the ones near it, and it didn't get enough local support to pass. Now it's going to happen anyway, despite the will of the people who actually live there.

Well, that was the will of the people living on the street about ten years ago. Maybe it's changed since then, but I have not seen anybody trying to get actual information.

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

my end of my street is non-permit too. (closer to the square i think it goes permit-only.) a couple years ago someone came by with a petition to make it permit-only on the theory that it would stop students from tufts from parking here, but considering how far a walk it is to tufts, and how inconvenient it would be for students to park their cars down here, i can't imagine making the street permit-only would have much effect. nothing happened anyway.

[pushupstairs.livejournal.com]

The increase from $.50/hr to $1.00 an hour is not a concern in my opinion. I can't name another place where a quarter buys you a full half-hour at a parking meter. If they were suggesting an increase to anything above, say, $2.00, maybe that would be a real issue.

But the rest of that document is total bunk. If I still lived in Somerville, I'd be calling my aldercritter immediately.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

This is fucking bullshit on so many levels it's not even funny. Pretty ballsy of them to sneak this through. One reason I chose to live where I do is because I don't have to bother with permits and can entertain friends without any worry of them getting ticketed. And gee, in the 6+ years I have lived here, only 3 or 4 times have I ever had to park more than a 3 minute walk from my place.

Yeah, I know- we'll be issued 2 guest permits an address. Well, most of my friends live elsewhere and now, if I want to have a party, what do my friends do? Only 2 of them get permits. Is the city going to establish guest lots? Or if we have more than the city-sanctioned number of guests, those in excess will end up with $50 or $100 tickets? Or will they have to take the T and they have to leave relatively early?

You know, there's been these outreach plans for citizens to weigh in on issues and it seemed like, especially when it comes to parking, that the city was finally pulling its head out of its ass and at least putting forth the appearance of listening to people. But for the city to do this without asking for input, it's really outrageous. If this goes through and I am still in Somerville the next election, I'm immediately voting against every incumbent.

[geekpixie.livejournal.com]

While I agree with many of your points, they do make allowances for parties, you just have to notify them and get temp passes that are $1. I've never lived in a place in Somerville that wasn't permit parking, and having parties still hasn't been a problem :)

http://www.somervillema.gov/section.cfm?org=traffic&page=916

[turil.livejournal.com]

I like Arlington and Belmont's laws, myself...

No overnight parking anywhere on the streets.

[anyee.livejournal.com]

Ditto in Brookline. When I was looking at housing there, I had to factor in the 125-175 dollar per month parking fee.

This is also the case in the entire city of Providence. Not like anyone actually lives there.

[zmgmeister.livejournal.com]

That's not cool. I can see changes in Magoun if the Green Line goes there, but meters till 10 in Davis is ridiculous.

8 is already late enough to discourage commuters from taking the spot for the entire night. But 10 would discourage people from going out to dinner or a movie in the square.

15 minutes per quarter is ridiculous too. Parts of Cambridge have this, and it discourages shopping in the area. Just last week I wanted to pop into the Galleria for something, had to keep watching my time cause only had three quarters in my pocket.

And we need a few non-permit streets as a "safety valve" of sorts for unexpected visitors and whatnot.

[svilletheatre.livejournal.com]

We at the theatre are particularly concerned about the meters being extended until 10pm. I think this is going to hurt many of the local businesses in the square, particularly the restaurants and ourselves. Not even Boston (as far as I know) or Brookline have meters so late. I don't mind (or rather, dislike less) the idea of the meter prices going up, but extending the time into the evening that late is a guarantee that people will go elsewhere. Any business can tell you how hard it is to get a customer back once you lose them; I am sure the first time someone gets a $30 ticket because they didn't realize the meters went so late is going to also be the moment they decide next time to bypass Davis and go eat or see a movie somewhere with a big free parking lot.

We do more than 75% of our business after 6pm and while realistically most of our customers don't have to or choose to drive, enough of them do to make a difference in our bottom line. I am sure, especially given the economy, many restaurants are barely making it - and losing 5% or 10% of their business because Davis is the only place with late night meters is going to hurt these places in a big way - nobody is making that high of a profit margin that they can kiss 5-10% goodbye.

Add to that for us personally it would be tough for people to have to leave their movies or concerts in the middle to feed the meters - and some artists have a no re-admittance policy that would further complicate things.

As for the permit parking - I think it is a major misstep forcing all streets into permit only. A lot of dissatisfied voters out there with something that effects 50% of the streets.

I will add that the Aldermen do not vote on this - it is the traffic commission, all of whom are appointed I believe. I complained to Rebekah Gewirtz as soon as I heard about this and she very kindly went to the commission meeting and plead our case to them - and she called me back immediately and was very understanding about how this would effect us and others - but she doesn't vote in this situation, she only represents her constituents.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

Thank you for weighing in. Yes, this will especially affect your theater because we know there are some directors who, ahem, like long 2+ hour movies. And then there are concerts. So that puts your patrons in a bind and you are correct- at a time when we should be taking measures to ENCOURAGE business, this is a huge step to drive folks away. The fact that they might end up with god knows how much of a ticket might be the thing that makes them say "screw it, I'll go to the Kendall or the Coolidge Corner instead.

[thewrongbloke.livejournal.com]

From the City of Somerville Traffic and Parking Commission website (PDF)... http://www.somervillema.gov/CoS_Content/documents/TrafficRegApr09-2.pdf

This seems to document how everyday citizens can respond to bad regulations.

Article VII. Section 8. Part (b):

"Upon the filing of petitions with the traffic board by not less than fifty registered
voters of the city, relative to any rule or regulation proposed to be adopted, altered or
repealed, and not yet in effect, the proposed action shall be suspended, and the traffic
board shall hold a public hearing thereon within two weeks of the date the petitions
were filed, and shall by majority vote approve or disapprove the proposed action
within two weeks following the public hearing. Upon the filing of petitions with the
traffic board by not less than fifty registered voters of the city, relative to any rule or
regulation which has been adopted, altered or repealed for a period of at least thirty
days, the traffic board shall hold a public hearing thereon within two weeks of the
date the petitions were filed and shall, following such hearing, determine by majority
vote whether to avoid the adoption, alteration or repeal of the rule or regulation."

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

What constitutes a petition? Is an email sent to the address in the pdf sufficient?

[chumbolly.livejournal.com]

This is the sort of asshattery that must be forcefully nipped in the bud. I live in a permit area and would never drive into Davis and park, and as such these new rules won't directly effect me, but this is clearly a revenue grab at the expense of our quality of life. Raise the meter rates, heck, raise my taxes, but don't change the rules around, especially in a manner that will hurt businesses and increase the number of people that will get to spend at least one morning a year in that miserable dung hole known as the Parking office. We piss and moan about the parking office all the time on this board, but this presents a perfect opportunity for us all to get to know our aldermen. I'll be writing Bob Trane, who I've found to be quite responsive in the past. Let's get on it!

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

Just a note to people: as it says in the pdf,

To submit feedback to the Somerville Chamber of Commerce, please email smackey at somervillechamber org

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

"smackey"

I like that.

- - -

And Captcha sez type the two words "be poorer".

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

I wonder how this would work? My non-permit street is near Ball Square. It is filled each day with parkers who work in Ball Square, eat in Ball Square, or shop in Ball Square. If my street became resident parking only, where would these people go? Maybe the City could put parking meters on Broadway where it goes over the train tracks, but they’d probably need to be all-day meters so the workers in Ball Square would have a place to park.

On the other hand, maybe the bike lanes on Willow Ave. can be expanded if there are fewer parkers? Maybe they’d only need to have parking on one side of the street if it’s just resident parking?

It seems like visitors to Somerville in the future will need to take trains or bikes. But until the Green Line come through, I can’t quite figure out where visitors will park.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

But until the Green Line come through

Yes, and the T is just brimming with cash and will be getting to the project right away, I'm sure.

Seriously, can we start a campaign to rename this extension the "Godot Branch"?

Night-time permit only?

[ethanfield.livejournal.com]

Hrmrmrmmm... OK, so I agree with the idea that space on our streets is a premium, and that there should be a price for parking one's car on the street in the city. I own a car and I totally support the increase in permit fees, and the idea that more residents should be paying them, especially as the city faces a $13 million shortfall. However, like others here, I'm really concerned about businesses and visitors.

What about this: Permit parking everywhere only at night (12AM-6AM, same as the commercial vehicle parking ban. Or maybe 1AM for restaurant/bar patrons). That way folks like me who use Somerville streets to store our cars every day have to buy a permit to do so, but people who are coming in to work, shop, eat, or do business can still do so. We'd keep the 24-hour permit-only areas we have now (mostly near the T) and add more of those when the Green Line arrives (by which time we will all have flying cars anyway.)

Re: Night-time permit only?

[m00n.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Permit parking during the work day in most parts of the city would just mean no one ever parks there during the day.

[mjrocks98.livejournal.com]

Wow, I live in Magoun Square & can't wrap my head around why they would extend parking meters here till 10pm. The only things I can come up with is one revenue & two job security - they are now increasing the number of hours they need meter maids (or whatever PC term I should be calling them) & therefore producing a way to keep jobs.

I'm also considering a move outside of Somerville at the end of the summer. What was making me happy about it was that I know where a lot of the streets that are not permit around Davis are & I would easily be able to park & spend my time still patronizing Davis Square businesses - looks like with this plan I won't be back once I move. That makes me sad. I was hoping to be back at least 2 nights a week to run with different running groups, grab dinner etc., but under this new plan my dollars are going to be staying out in the burbs.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

can't wrap my head around why they would extend parking meters here till 10pm.

they're likely thinking of two things: the eventual green line (hah!) and the CVS lot that is NOT the CVS lot.

Simple: They'll get more money from fines.

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Not a bad idea.

Re: Simple: They'll get more money from fines.

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

In my email to the chamber, I tried to channel my econ minor from college and look at this from a micro standpoint.

My contention is that if my friends don't want to come over because they might get a $50 ticket for accidentally overstaying the guest permit or something stupid like that, they won't spend the $10 in coffee, $15 in takeout, $20 in sit down dining, and $40 in alcohol, etc that they might have otherwise.

The inconvenience factor, of people who choose their dwellings consciously due to non permit parking, will certainly affect real estate and rental values as well.

Seems reasonable to me

[secretlyironic.livejournal.com]

Where I work, parking costs $20/day. And some people pay it. I don't. I take the train.

Parking, in my humble opinion, is too cheap around these parts-- it doesn't reflect the real cost to the city and to the community. If I ran the zoo, I'd raise the cost of resident permits as well as making streets resident-only, increasing the meter fees and times, and so forth.

And as to businesses? Seriously? If they're going to your business, and driving there, then they can pay for an extra hour of meter time.

Re: Seems reasonable to me

[svilletheatre.livejournal.com]

I understand your point about parking having greater costs in general terms, however as to businesses we are not talking about 'paying for an extra hour of meter time' with some of the specifics proposed here.

We are talking about what is now free (6pm-10pm on a street meter) becoming a $4 charge that must be paid in the middle of said period. I don't understand how you can't see that this will discourage people from using Davis businesses over other areas. It would be one thing if the whole city, or all surrounding cities had the same policy, but singling out Davis and Magoun puts us at a real disadvantage. Again, it may only ultimately be putting off 5% of customers, but that is where the profits lie - most places aren't making such a huge profit margin that they can forgo 5% of business these days. Locally owned businesses will suffer if this policy is enacted, and thus the community will suffer too.

[craigindaville.livejournal.com]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet that I think merits consideration is the number of cars allowed per household right now. I live on a short, dead-end street in a non-permit area of the city. Every house save one is a multi-family unit, each one with one driveway but WAY more than one car (for instance, in my three-family, there's one car each for the first two floors, two for the third). We were doing pretty well in the parking department until the one single family across the street finally sold about 6 months ago, and the new owners (remember, ONE family) now park four large vehicles on the street. For some reason, they can't be bothered to use their driveway.

Now, if there were permit parking required, and some sort of cap on permits per household, maybe these folks would use their driveway more, and leave some space for us who don't have that option.

Fortunately, we're far enough away from business districts and/or permit areas that we don't get freebie spillover parking, but eight buildings, 21 apartments, and about 100 feet of "parkable" curbs make Jack a dull boy.

Just a thought to add to the mix...

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

We never run out of *spots* but we run out of permits fast. I live in a 2 family with 7 bedrooms total. We have 3 driveway spaces. Though it seems Utterly Reasonable that we *might* have more than three cars total, we happen not to. The 7 adults who live here *happen* to only have 3 cars between them.

However, due to the ridiculous permitting structure, the 7 people who live here only have 4 guest permits between them because you get guest permits per apartment, not per resident. Is it theoretically possible that the 7 adults who live here MIGHT want more than 4 simultaneous guests? Why yes, it is. And then what? We *can't* use our driveway any further, it's full. And so we direct the overflow to the non-permit street that is basically across the street from us. This is not a matter of planning gatherings more than 2 (or in the case of our 2 family, 4) people in advance. 7 people could conceivably have one guest apiece without it ever being "a gathering." Thus they're thinking somehow that we're going to check in, days in advance, with our housemates without inviting someone back for tea?

Bad bad bad.

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

And the thing with Magoun Square is, can't you park free across the Medford line anyway?

[ruthling.livejournal.com]

oh, great...

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

Just last week I noticed that the unrestricted spots on Park Street (between Beacon Street and Somerville Avenue) were only about half full during the workday. That implies the street has strict enough regulations already.

There's already a petition process for people who want permit parking on their street. So why impose it citywide, when some streets have decided they don't want it? (Never mind the opinions of people who live elsewhere but still go to Somerville from time to time.)

New meters just went in on Beacon Street along the American Academy of Arts and Sciences property. That would be the perfect place for all-day meters -- there's not much demand for short-term parking -- but unfortunately those meters are just for 2 hours, the same as in business districts with a lot of retail.

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

I just found out (the hard way) that replacing a lost visitor pass is $15 for the first replacement, and $50 for the 2nd.

SO DON'T LOSE THEM (or leave them in a zip car like I did).

[geekpixie.livejournal.com]

Holy crap!

[geekpixie.livejournal.com]

So if someone put together a petition, and proposed a place to sign it, like say, a DS get together which we haven't had in ages, would people go?

I'm unsure whether or not we should be contesting both the meter hours extension, or the residential parking (I could care less about the meter rate, could you?) but I'm really big on the meter hour extension not occurring, it would be just awful for our businesses, not to mention the latest I've EVER seen meters go. If they're doubling the rates, they don't get more hours too! =b

[ron_newman]

That sounds like an excellent idea. Please set a date, time, and location for this, then announce it in a new post to davis_square.

some alternate proposals

[mihmo.livejournal.com]

- draw lines for parking spots on particularly desirable streets for parking, and fine cars who park over the line (so sick of cars taking up enough space for two cars because of bad spacing - lines would made it easier to avoid doing this when you park) I know some of the metered spots in Davis already have lines drawn, but some don't, and it may make sense to draw lines for the permit streets close to the square too since they're open to all on Sunday (sounds like they still will be anyway?)

- if the city's goal is to make money rather than improve the parking situation, charge for permits based on vehicle size, good excuse to up the fines for SUVs which take up more space anyway so its maybe kind of fair

- people who can prove they work in the square (or in Somerville according to the zone system the visitor permits use) should be able to pay a fee to get a permit... could be daytime hours only... could be more $$ than residents' permits

Re: some alternate proposals

[ron_newman]

But a disadvantage of drawing lines is that you would no longer be able to put three Mini Cooper or Smart cars in the space of two regular-sized cars.

Just a few random thoughts.......

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

~city-wide permitting will bring in HUGE amounts of money to the city. That's the entire reason for it: you pay for your permit, you pay for your guest pass, you must pay all outstanding tickets in order to get a permit, if you're permit expires at midnight and you forgot to get or place in your car the new sticker, you can rest assured that you will have a ticket by morning, etc., etc.
~Unless they change the regulations, it is illegal (and a ticketable offense) to 'feed' the meters. So people who wish to park for extended periods at night are taking a chance.
~I love that people think it's OK to charge more for people with a larger vehicle. Why? Where is the added cost to park this vehicle? Please keep in mind that some people must drive a handicap accessible vehicle, or a large vehicle needed for work, or are simply too large to fit into a smaller vehicle.
~It irritates me that I pay my taxes, and they are significant, and yet I must pay again for the 'privilege' of parking on the street where my residence is located.
~I almost never shop in Cambridge, and I used to do it often, because it is nearly impossible to park anywhere.
~Meters are being extended in Magoun and Davis for obvious reasons....there are businesses there that attract large amounts of patrons. If patrons begin frequenting other areas, their meters will be extended also.
~I applaud the people who are preparing petitions, and e-mails, but be aware that this is a done deal. No amount of arguing will change this. The Mayor has spoken.
~How about a little reform, or reining in some spending, before soaking the residents again? The Mayor has spent like a drunken sailor and now the well is dry, and he doesn't know what to do!

Re: Just a few random thoughts.......

[ywwg.livejournal.com]

"Unless they change the regulations, it is illegal (and a ticketable offense) to 'feed' the meters. So people who wish to park for extended periods at night are taking a chance."

Has anyone here been ticketed for feeding a meter? I do a lot of work in Davis Square, and although I walk to work (from Ball), a lot of my colleagues drive. They park in the various lots or street spots and feed the meters all day, every day. No one has had a problem getting ticketed while feeding a meter that I know of. The only issue is sometimes they are late feeding the meter and they get a ticket.

I think Somerville would hear a big uproar from Davis Square employers if they started strictly enforcing meter-feeding policies -- there just aren't enough spots for employees so they don't have a choice.

Just a few random thoughts.......

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

~city-wide permitting will bring in HUGE amounts of money to the city. That's the entire reason for it: you pay for your permit, you pay for your guest pass, you must pay all outstanding tickets in order to get a permit, if you're permit expires at midnight and you forgot to get or place in your car the new sticker, you can rest assured that you will have a ticket by morning, etc., etc. You must also register your car in MA/Somerville for a permit. This brings in excise tax money to the city and registration fees to the state.
~Unless they change the regulations, it is illegal (and a ticketable offense) to 'feed' the meters. So people who wish to park for extended periods at night are taking a chance.
~I love that people think it's OK to charge more for people with a larger vehicle. Why? Where is the added cost to park this vehicle? Please keep in mind that some people must drive a handicap accessible vehicle, or a large vehicle needed for work, or are simply too large to fit into a smaller vehicle.
~It irritates me that I pay my taxes, and they are significant, and yet I must pay again for the 'privilege' of parking on the street where my residence is located.
~I almost never shop in Cambridge, and I used to do it often, because it is nearly impossible to park anywhere.
~Meters are being extended in Magoun and Davis for obvious reasons....there are businesses there that attract large amounts of patrons. If patrons begin frequenting other areas, their meters will be extended also.
~I applaud the people who are preparing petitions, and e-mails, but be aware that this is a done deal. No amount of arguing will change this. The Mayor has spoken.
~How about a little reform, or reining in some spending, before soaking the residents again? The Mayor has spent like a drunken sailor and now the well is dry, and he doesn't know what to do!