More on Parking

[winterhill.livejournal.com]

An article in the Somerville Journal quotes Alderman Pero as saying "city officials can't give in to constituent concerns."  Huh?  Isn't this otherwise known as listening to the people who voted you into office?  And will vote you out?  I understand they haven't come up with the right answer yet, but this statement is arrogant and lame.

Link to the full article:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/town_info/government/x1885874713/Somerville-aldermen-split-on-citywide-permit-parking

Comments

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

No, they mean that all streets will require a permit to park (some streets currently don't). Presumably the permits will still be area-specific.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Only the guest permits are area-specific. Resident parking stickers are good city-wide.

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

Huh! Yeah, I guess I was thinking of guest permits. Not having a car, I've never had to get a resident permit. So, getting back to the OP's question, I guess this will exacerbate an existing problem, if it exists.

[masswich.livejournal.com]

I don't think it will exacerbate a parking shortage in any area. If you have a parking permit now you can park in any permit parking, or any non-permit parking. If you don't have a permit now you can only park in non-permit parking. So if you make the whole city permit parking it reduces the number of cars that can park in that area, actually alleviating a problem.

OTOH there are a number of problems with this proposal, such as the inability to allow people to park for more than 2 hours even if they pay to do so (for example to see a movie or a show) and the lack of flexibility in general. So while I think it might help me, with my permit, park for free, I still think it needs some work. If redone well I think it would actually make the City more money, not less.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

If you don't have a permit now you can only park in non-permit parking. So if you make the whole city permit parking it reduces the number of cars that can park in that area, actually alleviating a problem.

And causing more...if I'd like to throw a party, or heck, have more than 2 cars of non-residents come visit, I used to tell people they could park on Elm, which was a block away, and *always* has parking. Now, though....if they need to use the parking permit, they're going to park as close to my place as they can - faster to get the permit back and forth, and in spots normally used and wanted by tenants. Having fewer 'safe haven streets' where visiting non-residents can park even if the walk is further means more competition for the really desirable spots.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

i should note that the section of Elm I am near is permit free in the evenings and weekends; it's down south of Porter.

[masswich.livejournal.com]

I agree. I was only referring to the issue of people parking near T stations for the day. There should definitely be some "safe havens" for visitors who don't live in Somerville. Down in the South End they have some of these spaces, although they are usually all taken.

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

I have been told by traffic and parking that guest permits are for your street and cross street only, not for the entire zone on the permit.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

all the more reason this is a bad idea. Right now, my guests don't *have* to park on my doorstep. They can park on Elm south of Cedar, which always has space, and is an easy 1-block walk to my place (it always has space because almost every building along there has a parking lot or driveway, so the residents park off street for most of Elm from Cedar south to Somerville Ave.). If the permit limits them to my street and the cross street, then even if they wanted to park on spacious, always available Elm, they couldn't (my street runs parallel to Elm; a different street would be my cross street).

It's just poorly thought out; it might eliminate a little non-resident parking in really congested areas, but it's going to make the lives of a disproportionate number of residents in south Porter, Union, Winter Hill areas more difficult, while repairing an issue that *doesn't exist* in this part.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

All the more reason to vote every single person in office from the Mayor on down out of office the next election.

[ron_newman]

That would be hard since almost nobody has an opponent, and the filing deadine has passed.

Rebekah Gewirtz (Ward 6) is opposed, but she's been good on this issue (as on most others) and I'd absolutely like to keep her around.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

Ok, we'll do that for Rebekah. You're correct there.

At the very least, if I still live here in Somerville this next election, I'm going to write in "none of the above" for the rest of them. Unfortunately, we're not allowed to call for votes of no confidence in our government, and this will have to suffice.