Tom Champion tries to justify parking changes

[ron_newman]

The Somerville Journal asked Tom Champion some questions about the new parking regulations, which were enacted without advance notice or democratic process by an unelected body, and are set to go into effect on August 1st.

Read the answers here:
Start saving: Parking meter rates and hours to increase, permit parking to expand citywide

(thanks to: Somerville Journal Blog)

(See also: very long DSLJ discussion from earlier this week
and Somerviile Chamber of Commerce's description of the changes)

Comments

[overstim.livejournal.com]

Ill sum up for everyone:

Q. Why is the city hiking parking costs and making it tough for residents already struggling in a recession? How does the city justify charging taxpayers more at this time?

A: Boston and Cambridge are already doing it.

Q: How do you justify making Somerville another Boston or Cambridge but without the adequate public transportation options those cities have?

A: Boston & Cambridge are already doing it

Q: Why are costs being hiked in the business districts where you need to attract more people, not deter them from coming there?

A: Turnover. It will make people leave faster after just buying waht they came for and not lingering. And then other people will come in and do the same thing.

Q: Why are loading zones being metered - how many and what locations?

A: Only in Davis, and only from 6pm-10pm.

Q: When was it deemed and who decided to make all city roads permit parking and why? What if residents on permit free roads do not want this - can they still petition the city to remain permit-free? How many permit free roads in the city will this affect?

A: The FAC report specifically recommended this change, which was endorsed by the Mayor’s Office and the Traffic and Parking Department.


Dont you love how he just doesnt bother answering half of the questions? How efficient!

[m00n.livejournal.com]

I have the same answer for all of these questions: The Somerville Theater.

ALL of the other areas cited (Harvard Square, Kendall Square, the Landmark on the Fenway, and the Loews on the Common) at least give non-residents the option of paying some (often very high) amount for almost guaranteed parking. Davis Square does not have such a facility, which means these new regulations would make it nearly impossible for someone to use a car to see a movie at the Somerville Theater. What's more, Davis Square is a much more food/restaurant-oriented, rather than retail-oriented business district, so high parking turnover would probably only benefit a small percentage of its businesses. Restaurants and the theater (which draws a lot of non-locals into the square so that they can then patronize other local businesses) would suffer considerably from making people leave to feed a meter after 2 hours. Increasing the limit to 4 hours would make this change substantially more tenable.