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

Wasted Space

[qualitygig.livejournal.com]

Ok, so I have to disclose that I'm a little angry at the people allowing their cars to seed a sidewalk snow dune. They're taking up space and forcing the people who -- because they have to move their cars -- into less ideal conditions, sometimes at a penalty. Because of one of these people, I was ticketed for parking too close to an intersection, a problem that was created by the fact a person's car that had not been shoveled out was taking up too much space, apparently 'pushing' mine too close to the intersection according to the parking officer walking by. C'est la vie !

My point, though, is that the people who are doing all the shoveling and moving cars around . . . and using them . . . are doing all the work while the people who do nothing, well, wait for the sun to shine. If you follow sports, if feels like a 'fair weather fan', there to cheer when the going is good but somewhere else when times are tough. They get the benefits of free parking, not shoveling, et cetera but don't have to do anything for it. It doesn't feel right. I, essentially, get ticketed because I shoveled out my car, used it, and then parked in a spot I've parked in before but -- because of all the danged snow -- fell under more scrutiny by the parking officer who walked by ? And all because somebody couldn't be bothered to shovel out their car ?

Yes, I've obsessed about it a bit. But, look, we live in a densely-populated area and land isn't free. Those cars sitting under huge piles of snow are sitting on top of valuable space. I don't know what the storage fee is for a car, but I'm sure willing to bet one or several people together would be more than willing to pay it to get that spot in working order.

So here's a few thoughts, some more serious and some more funny . . .

1) ALL cars must be cleaned within 48 hours of a storm. The guideline is that -- upon inspection -- it must seem reasonable that the car COULD leave the spot without further work (not that it has to).

2) For all the cars left under a snowbank more than a week after a storm, we take one at random and auction it off for the school system (or free coffees for everyone in the affected area). The point ? A little 'use it or loose it' motivation.

3) We'll have a Somerville Shovel Detail. If not cleared in 48 hours, the City of Somerville will clear it for you . . . and because they can then see your sticker and license, Somerville will send you a nice little bill for the effort.

4) Build a website or forum or whatever for people to ask for help. Whether it trades actual money or a I'll-shovel-your-car-if-you-shovel-mine system of favors isn't the point. Create something where all the danged cars shoveled out !

5) To the City of Somerville: I don't know if something like this exists -- I am specifically thinking of something that's like a spray can that sprays chalk . . . but mark off areas of no parking, put a line down the side of the street that effectively says 'you must park closer to the curb that this', . . . do something that provides a little additional guidance on the do's and don'ts.


Oh, and I've never heard of any such thing as 'strict enforcement of a 48 hour rule', though I have to admit I'm fairly new to Somerville. But it does seem an odd thing to say -- If the rule was actually a priority, I know they are more than capable of writing a ticket at the drop of the hat just about everywhere. If I can get several tickets in the span of blinking (seriously, 3-4 tickets in a total window of less than 10 minutes), then they surely have the ability to ticket people parked 48+ hours. It's just a silly thing to have said -- It's simply not enforced.