Disturbing comments from the City of Somerville on Boston.com

[atriplex007.livejournal.com]

Was anyone disturbed by City of Somerville spokeswoman, Jackie Rosetti's, comments about the city's parking policy on Boston.com?  I found this comment particularly disturbing: "...the ban discourages commuters from leaving their cars on city streets for several days while they turn to public transportation."

I understand the need for an enforceable parking policy that discourages residents from using city streets as their own parking lots/driveways--oh wait, don't residents already do that by throwing trash in the street to save spaces?  That any city, let alone "The Model City", discourages residents from using public transportation in any way is a crime.  In fact, it should be a crime for a city not to encourage the use of public transportation.

I think the 48-hr parking policy is unreasonable for residential streets.  Instead, I'd like to see something like a 7-day policy, whereby residents that use public transportation to commute, but still own a car, have the weekend to use, and therefore move, their car to avoid being ticketed or towed.  Am I way off base here?  I'm new to the community and have lived in a city without a car for years.  I share my current car with my partner, who also commutes via the T.  I know that it's a privilege, not a right, to park on a public, city street.  That said I don't think the current parking policy is benefiting our community.  There are healthier ways for the city to generate income.

Comments

[junesrose.livejournal.com]

If your primary residence is SC (as my example) and your car is registered there, but you're going to school HERE, why would you have MASS plates?

Also, I believe all that's needed to get a parking permit is proof of residency. You can get a parking permit WITHOUT actually having a car. Two "resident" permits are given per apartment, regardless of if you have a driveway or a an actual car.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

This is from the city's website:

Somerville has City-wide permit parking. This means you need to obtain a RESIDENTIAL sticker before you can park on our streets. Cars parked on City streets without a residential sticker will be ticketed. To obtain a residential sticker you must present a current, valid Mass registration showing Somerville, MA as the principal place of garaging. Traffic and Parking will contact the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) to verify that their records have been updated with your current Somerville address before a permit is issued should you present a MA registration with a non-Somerville address. You must also provide proof of residency with either a bank statement, or a current (dated within 30 days of obtaining the permit) gas, electric, telephone or cable bill. The RESIDENTIAL sticker is good for all posted streets within the city and not just the street where you live. There is a $20.00 fee, senior citizens (65+), HP plates and placards exempt.

More than two resident permits could certainly be granted per apartment if there were more drivers living there. The last place we lived in had 5 guys upstairs, 4 of whom had registered cars.

[junesrose.livejournal.com]

Skimmed this quickly as I need to be AFK. (TL;DR) I think we're talking about two different things here, Resident parking STICKER vs guest parking voucher (AKA giant 8x10 PARKING PERMIT thing we place on dashboard).

My bad...I'll be back later

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

That is exactly what I said.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I got the impression that this was what was going on myself. However, worth noting that the guest parking voucher has limitations; you can't use it to park in front of a place forever. (I forget the exact restriction, but there's a time limit.) So if the car was using a guest permit, but was using it for months at a time (e.g. while living in that apartment), then yeah, a ticket is legit. Guest permits are for, well, guests.

[cravereality.livejournal.com]

I think the rule is that it can't be used by the same car for more than two days a week and it can't be used by the resident of the apartment ever (I don't know that that is entirely enforceable, but it is what the permit says).

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

This.

Years ago when I was on active duty but home on recruiting duty, I got bit by this.