A proposed pilot program for overnight parking in the colder months will have to wait until next winter, Trevor Jones from Wicked Local Newton reports
Overnight parking still not allowed in Ward 1
by Greg Reibman | Nov 21, 2013 | Newton | 14 comments
As a Ward 1 resident living on a street where this is a real issue, I am disappointed, but understand the need to think this out.
In the end, it will probably be best to identify the streets in need, and separate those where it is simply not feasible from those where it is, as well as being clear about when it is still banned (during snow emergencies).
One variable to be addressed is what to do after a snow emergency has passed and the streets have been plowed? As good a job as the city does plowing my street, it is still slightly tighter unless residents finish the job by hand (I’ll admit I do that in front of my house so I can stop in front to load during the day).
I think and hope this can work for residents who need it, but yes the permitting probably needs more thought and more specific rules.
Don Haslam — I’m not a resident of the Ward, but “for residents who need it”, isn’t the reality that they will park on-street anyway, accumulating some small fines that will probably be less than the sticker fee that they proposed? That part was pretty nutty — making this a revenue source. Now comes the nuttier part — they want more community input so they form a small committee! How about an ol’ fashion meeting with open mikes and real community input?
Perhaps that could be done at a traffic committee meeting.
The fees (some think the $5 fine is comically low, and is the sticker fee too high?) are certainly a good discussion point.
The reality where I am is people park on street, and find a solution when it snows. Mine is using a shared driveway (easement) to a makeshift spot in my backyard- not the worst thing in the world, but not the way the property is designed either.
No matter what happens it doesn’t – and shouldn’t- take away the snow element. I’d be happiest with the winter ban not being in effect until first snow.
(Here’s a secret- the current rule isn’t exactly frequently enforced. I see cars get ticketed maybe twice per year, not counting snow times)
@Doug: When there is a decent amount of snow on the ground — not during or immediately following a snow emergency — do emergency vehicles have clear passage through your street? Just wondering.
The plowers generally do a good job on our street. If they get to the curb, cars could park normally and emergency vehicles can get by normally. That’s a small if of course- as stated above I usually clear my section of street (both sides) so I can park there temporarily.
But without cars? No question
The ability of emergency vehicles to get to residents in need should be the highest concern. If you live on a 24 ft wide street (and there are many in the city), emergency vehicles do not have clear passage to get to your home if cars are parked on both sides of the street at any time of the year. Even after good plowing, most streets aren’t as wide in winter months as they are in spring/summer/fall.
These blanket winter parking bans are antiquated in these days of instant information. We can predict when storms are going to come and we all have access to instant information. Just announce when there is a parking ban due to a storm. Then announce when the ban is over until the next storm. There is no reason to have a parking ban all the time when we may not get a significant storm all year.
People who park on the street should be able to sign up for text alerts about bans or something like that.
The Jassett-Faxon-Beech Street area park at Post 440 thru the winter. I wonder if they are putting an end to that?
As far as I know, nothing is changing. And it’s great that residents have that option. One of the things that drives me batty here is the lack of apparent options in the Newton Corner area. There is a small city lot on Pearl, but from what I read they, too, are closed in snow emergencies- understood they need to be plowed as well.
I agree with Kim that the blanket ban is antiquated. There are some barriers; what if I fly out of town and leave my car on the street only to come back to find that there had been a storm and I had been fined, towed or simply got in the way of the plows and left the street a mess? This is a situation I personally would likely come across, and the city would have to rely on me to remember to think ahead. Not an insurmountable issue, but one of, I’m sure, several changes in thinking that would have to accommodate such a change.
That said, I’d be for it- having to move my car into the backyard now, when there is nothing on the ground, simply to save $5, is ridiculous.
@Doug,
But if they seed the no-parking-overnight rule during the winter, it still would apply for snow emergencies.
And by now most fully understand the rule. Ease it and it’s easy to see folks forgetting to move the cars off the street for snow storms.
Dan, that’s more or less what I’m saying.
Ok, that’s fine. The example you gave seemed to be implying the proposed rule would help with that, and I was just indicating that to me at least it didn’t look like it would.
No, you just stated things more clearly than I did – I mentioned snow more specifically in early comments but failed to clarify in that last one- no worries.
Someone in Nonantum ruined the proposal for the rest of Ward 1. Idiocy at it’s finest!