ext_5001 ([identity profile] mamajoan.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] davis_square2013-08-12 02:05 pm
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Parking free in metered lots on Saturdays for residents

This past Saturday I was feeding a meter in Davis Square when a parking officer approached me and told me that because I have a resident sticker, I can park in any of the metered lots in Davis Square without paying, on any Saturday. I was surprised because I feel like I stay pretty well-informed about stuff like that, and hadn't heard anything of the sort.

I took a look on somervillema.gov and parksomerville.com and could not find anything to corroborate this. Nor have I seen anything about it on the city's social media accounts -- although admittedly it's easy to miss things on Twitter and Facebook. I tweeted this morning to the official city Twitter account asking whether this is true, and they replied that it is. I replied back asking why it isn't mentioned anywhere on either of the aforementioned websites, but haven't received a response to that yet. (Update: Got a rather tepid response from @SomervilleCity on Twitter, saying that they will "ask Traffic and Parking" to put this info on their website.)

In any case, since this was news to me, I figure it might be news to others also, so I'm passing it along. Caveat: I'm not entirely clear on which lots are covered by this. The parking officer indicated the Rite Aid lot, as that was nearest where we were at the time, but he also said "or any of the other metered lots" with a sweeping arm motion that I interpreted to mean the Davis Square area, but maybe it meant all metered parking lots throughout the city for all I know.

[identity profile] courtney o'keefe (from livejournal.com) 2013-08-12 06:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Magoun Square lot, as well.

[identity profile] axedmoon.livejournal.com 2013-08-12 07:23 pm (UTC)(link)
I did not know this applied for metered lots because I know sure as HECK that doesn't apply to all meters. I found this out real quick when I first moved to Somerville.

[identity profile] hahathor.livejournal.com 2013-08-12 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Actually, city employees are instructed to tell residents this in an effort to increase parking ticket revenue.

You're welcome.

[in case it's not clear, I have no reason to believe this is true]

[identity profile] pywaket.livejournal.com 2013-08-13 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
Mine too.

[identity profile] amy-s1.livejournal.com 2013-08-13 05:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"I have no reason to believe this is true"

Except that the parking official told mamajoan so, and then the city confirmed it?

[identity profile] hahathor.livejournal.com 2013-08-13 06:02 pm (UTC)(link)
The "this" in the parenthetical refers to my allegation that the city is telling its employees to lie to residents to increase tax revenue. This is what is knows as a joke (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joke). I included the parenthetical disclaimer in order to avoid needlessly trolling the humorless. I suppose I needed a disclaimer to the disclaimer.

[identity profile] pierceheart.livejournal.com 2013-08-13 06:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Given some of the things which have happened with parking enforcement, it wouldn't surprise me, however.

[identity profile] boblothrope.livejournal.com 2013-08-13 02:24 am (UTC)(link)
Is this a good idea? How has it affected the availability of parking in these lots?

It all seems like a rather bad deal for nonresidents. The trade-off of parking meters is that you have to pay and limit the length of your stay, but it's for the greater good since it allows everyone (including you) to have a better chance of finding a spot. But with this system, nonresidents have to limit their stay, but the lots are very likely to be filled by residents. And it's parking primarily for a business district -- it's not intended to allow residents to park near their homes.

Also, does the 3 hour limit still apply to residents, or can they park all day?

[identity profile] achinhibitor.livejournal.com 2013-08-13 01:54 pm (UTC)(link)
It all seems like a rather bad deal for nonresidents.

True... but the whole point of parking fees is to get the city government a source of revenue that doesn't fall directly on the residents.

More troublesome is that it means that there isn't a shortage of parking for shoppers on Saturday. That suggests that Somerville isn't competitive in attracting shoppers.

[identity profile] boblothrope.livejournal.com 2013-08-16 07:38 pm (UTC)(link)
" the whole point of parking fees is to get the city government a source of revenue that doesn't fall directly on the residents."

No, the point is to raise money from the people who use and benefit from the service, and attempt to manage demand.

[identity profile] boblothrope.livejournal.com 2013-08-16 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Is this rule in writing anywhere?

I know the Somerville Traffic Commission and Department of Traffic and Parking aren't the most professional of regulatory bodies, but it would still be nice if traffic regulations were codified and available in print for public inspection, and not just spread by word of mouth.

What's the legal precedent in this country for laws, and their exceptions, having to be in writing?

[identity profile] btm02144.livejournal.com 2013-08-13 06:28 pm (UTC)(link)
I was told the same from a parking officer, and it applies to all lots in the city, as she told me. I've been taking advantage of this for a couple years, no tickets.