The city council’s public safety committee will meet Wednesday night to discuss possibly changing or eliminating Newton’s winter overnight parking ban. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the room 205 at City Hall.
Background about this issue here.
Is it time to ban Newton’s winter parking ban?
by Greg Reibman | Oct 31, 2016 | parking, weather | 67 comments
I’m glad this discussion is opening up again. The lack of on-street parking in the winter creates a significant hardship in some neighborhoods (including mine). I understand the need to clear streets during snow emergencies remains, but that would be no different than any other community that allows winter parking where it is needed.
This outdated regulation probably made sense back when we had “surprise” snow storms and used to have to listen to WBZ radio or watch the crawl on the local TV broadcast to find out if the kids had school that morning.
But now we have state of the art weather forecasting that predicts storms well in advance plus the golden voice of Aaron Goldman’s robo calls and other ways to push out the word about snow emergencies.
Newton should allow overnight parking year round except in the event of a declared snow emergency and/or declared parking ban based on the forecast and road conditions, not the calendar.
you must be kidding me I cant get in my driveway now never mind when it snows. what about fire trucks trash trucks rethink this the plows cant plow streets with no cars on them now.
@Auburndale: That sounds like a serious problem but a different one.
If your street is too narrow for parked cars and fire trucks now then there should never be parking allowed there.
Houses don’t just catch fire — people don’t just have heart attacks — during the night time hours of a winter parking ban.
I agree with Greg (not that that’s a surprise).
Another observation: a car left in front of my house during a snowstorm last year received a ticket for… $20. The regular fine for the season-long ban is $25. I’d be ok with doing away with the ban but jacking up the fine for blocking plows. Why isn’t that ticket $100, or more?
Absolutely. The winter parking ban creates hardship needlessly for the many residents who only have on street parking at their home. They should be able to park at their homes during unsnowy, cold, winter weather. Think about parents with toddlers and others coming home when it’s raining or dark at 4:00 pm. $25/day is a steep price to pay when necessary with no snow.
The winter overnight parking ban is a particular burden in areas of the City, such as Ward 2, with more rental units that do not always come with off-street parking. A couple reached out to me last winter to say they would sometimes park on the sidewalk since that was only a $15 ticket compared to $25 for parking on the street. When there is a snowstorm and plows need to get through then we can say people need to get their cars off the street but particularly the last 2 winters when we didn’t see any snow fall till February, I do not see the point in requiring people to get cars off snow-free roads.
I think this discussion brings up the discussion of snow bans. My neighborhood is used by commuters as free parking (avoiding the Eliot Parking Lot). In the past when I have called Newton Police during a snow emergency to get commuter cars towed so the plow can actually plow the snow I have been told that it isn’t fair to commuters to tow their cars because there was no snow emergency when they left for work and parked their cars. Unless they have no cell phone, no radio, no tv and no internet, these commuters know it is snowing and Newton has snow emergencies. Until commuters are towed, they will continue to park during snow emergencies. I don’t mind if we lift the ban and have snow emergencies only, however our police will need to get more pro-active about towing commuters that park for free along our city streets. (Both the Green Line and the Commuter rail line).
If you don’t have anywhere to park your car at night during the winter, where are you going to park during a snow emergency? Hopefully not on the sidewalk like Emily Norton’s constituent as people need sidewalks to walk safely. I think having a winter parking ban makes people work to find a location (like renting a spot from a neighbor or through apps like SPOT) or leave their car elsewhere like my husband and I used to do when we lived in Brighton, we parked our car here in Newton in my in-law’s driveway. Add lack of parking options to the cost of owning a vehicle in MA which is over $12,000 a year and maybe more would consider giving up their car altogether. As for fines, I guess that is another way to do it, but they would have to be big enough to pay for the plows to come back and fix the road which the plows aren’t keen on doing.
I like the ban. In fact, I support an ALL year street parking ban. In the world of Uber, public transportation, walking and riding a bike, owning a car is not a right. Shouldn’t we encourage people to dump their cars? It is great for the environment.
Let’s not make this into class warfare. I know a lot very wealthy with 4 cars who use the street as their personal parking lot. Cars parked in the street is ugly. It ruins our city. If you enjoy living outside a parking lot, Somerville is a good option.
There are many houses with inadequate (even no) parking. So a complete ban is unworkable in those neighborhoods. The ban as it stands is a hardship (perhaps not a tragedy, but a significant source of stress) on streets like mine, and at least trying a snow-only ban to see what happens seems to me to be a reasonable way to see if theis is a better path to serving the people who live on these streets.
While I can sympathize with those looking to use city streets to park overnight, I think Alicia makes a very valid point. If you can’t find an off street spot on a clear night, how would you expect to find one during a snow storm?
It is naive to think lifting the ban won’t have a negative impact during snow emergencies. For the few storms a year you will be fined, a significant number will choose to leave their car on the street. Tow them? Diverting equipment to tow cars, not to mention all the law suits from damage that is inevitable, will ultimately result in the cars being left, a ticket on the windshield, and that street not properly cleared. Boston and NYC face this all the time, and it is regularly a disaster as a result.
I thought most people were trying to find ways to discourage car ownership, this will only encourage more cars in the city.
@Alicia and Neal: When the city declares a snow emergency, cars have to get off the streets no matter what time of day it is.
So yes, folks without driveways already have to scramble now to find parking during a storm. Why also make them scramble when there is no snow or snow in the forecast?
@greg @doug People who are scrambling in a snow storm go where exactly? what happens when they can’t find someplace or they have forgotten to deal with it and they went to work or away for the weekend and left their car on the street. I can tell you what. The car stays on the street, covered with snow. The street is poorly cleared. Sometimes the car is moved before the plow makes a second pass. Sometimes the plow has to come back, the plow is angry and drives full force to clear the snow, and much of it ends up on the sidewalks residents have already cleared. Sometimes by the time the cars are moved there is nothing that can be done to clear the build up and it stays like that until it melts. A few winters ago we had that on my street. Between the shop owners, tennis club members and commuters there were always 5 or 6 cars left on the street. The plow can not just plow around the car easily. 40 + foot sections were left uncleared by each car. These became ice humps leaving the street was a mess until late March.
More importantly on those narrow streets of Nonantum and elsewhere, cars need to get off the street or the street will not be accessible for emergency vehicle during the storm or after.
Greg: If you own a car now, and live in Newton, you have made arrangements for off street parking every night during the winter months at least (and in many cases, during the day as well). That all goes away with the elimination of the winter ban. So, where will they go in a snow emergency? Nowhere, and it will cause quite the mess.
So you propose continuing to enforce an outdated policy in perpetuity just because its already in place?
That seems like a bad way to run a municipality.
One way to find out. Give it a trial run.
To answer Mike: the answer, in my neighborhood at least, is the cars would go in the same places- the local garage, backyard garden, agreement with neighbor, et al. – but doing it only when necessary and thus far less frequently reduces the burden on everyone. Yes, it’s up to the drivers, neighbors and the city to make sure we all comply with snow emergencies, but it is not as if that is a new concept. And steeper penalties for blocking plows (the $20 ticket I saw on my street last year is not a deterrent, it’s a joke) would help.
I’m in favor of keeping the ban. We should not be giving away valuable city-owned land for free.
@Doug C: Huh?
I live close to BC. Many BC students live in illegal-mother-in-laws and park their cars on the street (until Nov 1). Why would anyone want to invite students from local colleges to bring their cars and store them on our streets?
My house is small and I don’t have much storage space. The lack of storage is a burden/hardship on me. Is it OK, if I buy a portable storage locker and park it in the street in front of Emily’s (or Doug’s or Marti’s) house? Don’t worry, I’ll move it when it snows.
Repeatedly on this thread we are hearing from supporters of the ban whose arguments have nothing to do with winter weather.
Why ban parking seasonally in, say, Newtonville, to the address a year round problem of too many BC students parking in Chestnut Hill?
Perhaps we need overnight restrictions year round on specific streets/neighborhoods without inconveniencing everyone else.
Greg, one benefit of having a winter “non snow” ban, is that it limits students ability of students to bring cars all winter.
If it is easier to keep a car in Newton during the winter, more people will have cars in Newton both during the winter and during the summer. If it were up to me I would ban cars on the street every night of the year, or at least charge residents who want to park overnight a hefty permit fee.
@Greg yes people are mentioning other positives of the ban. But why do you feel the policy is out of date?
Back in the olden days (you know, ten, maybe even five years ago for some folks) it wasn’t nearly as easy as it is today to alert the public about a snow emergency/parking ban. Now we have text alerts, reverse 911, email on our phones, etc.
Also in those days of yore, weather forecasting wasn’t nearly as good as it is now. Now we generally know when a storm is coming days ahead of time and have the technology to remind folks that they need an alternative place to park until further notice, regardless of time of day the snow is falling.
My point is, if the ban exists solely for the purpose of getting cars off the street for snow plows, its hard to justify because technological improvements allow us to accomplish that through other means.
On the other hand if — as Tricia, Jeffrey and others thoughtfully articulate — we’re banning overnight parking to discourage car ownership or for other purposes, then let’s discuss the merits of those reasons, and not say we’re doing it because of snow plows
And if we agree were not doing it because of snow plows, then why have a ban seasonal instead of year round?
I don’t get it. When we build new developments, we say it’s a good thing to not include more than one off street parking space because it encourages residents to have fewer cars. But for existing housing, we want to enable residents to have more cars? There are lots of single family and multi-family homes, particularly in more dense areas, that have limited driveway space – maybe one car per unit. Right now, it’s self-selecting – if someone needs to have two or more vehicles, they don’t buy/rent those units. But without a ban, many will, figuring they’ll park on the street and deal with the snow when it happens. So now there are many, many more cars trying to find a place to go when it snows. Keep in mind, if anyone is allowed to park in the street all night, everyone is allowed to park in the street all night, and there will be a lot of work enacting new regulations on a street by street basis. And Greg- yes, emergencies happen at all hours of day, but the middle of the night is when most people – and their cars – are at home. Or in the street.
Greg – yes, it’s easy to get the word out about an impending storm and parking ban. People will know that they have to move their cars or get a ticket. But if there’s no parking ban, and therefore an increased number of vehicles in the city without an off-street home, where are they going to go? A lot of them will go nowhere; what’s an occasional ticket or risk of a tow a couple of times a year versus the convenience of a second (or third) car?
This is a very emotional and controversial topic. However let’s look at a community where they allow overnight parking with narrow streets and what happens in winter. That community is Waltham! I commute to Waltham every working day and I can emphatically tell you that their streets are awful whether it is a large or small snow storm. Yes NPD can issue emergency no parking, but this is difficult given snow storms happen in the wee-hours of the morning and it is difficult to move cars. So let’s deal, as we tried in the past, to address the neighborhoods where this is a problem. This can and should not be a one-size fits all.
I agree with Alicia.etc that without the ban people will not have plans in place when it snows and will take their chances by leaving their cars parked on the street. A seasonal ban requires them to have a place to park. By not having that ban you are going to more cars that just sit on streets in general (day & night). We don’t want plows to have to repetitively go down streets to get them cleared. During the bad winter my street was not cleared sufficiently and it became a one way street. Every morning the school bus came down the street cars cutting through trying to go the other direction played a game of chicken with bus. It would take a ridiculous amount of time for the bus to go a short distance. It does happen on occasion that the bus gets stuck in the Highlands due to the way commuters park when it is not snowing but let’s not create a situation where our streets are regularly not able to be cleaned sufficiently due to parked cars. Yes it does snow during the day but at least the streets are clear of cars each evening and the plows can get through easily when they are off the streets at night. Fines/towing are not a good regular solution.
I had no idea this would be such a controversial subject – naive thinking. It’s both disappointing to find yet another issue with Newtonians so divided and refreshing to see I’m still capable of being unaware some times; thought I’d become a complete cynic.
I’m guessing everyone commenting has a place at home for their car/s. I probably wouldn’t join this discussion if I did not. I would find comments implying I’m incapable of planning what to do with my car when snow is coming, I’m incapable of moving my car in the middle of the night, early morning or during the day, or heck I’m just so inconsiderate and unwilling to follow the law, I’d just leave my car on the road during a snow storm. I’d also guess the thought is I must make enough money to not sweat a ticket or pay for a tow and that my schedule must be so relaxed that it’s no problem to go through the hassle of getting my car from the impound.
There are two cars in my family. We park both our cars in the driveway. The driveway gets plowed at about 6:30am. One of us works second shift at Winchester Hospital staying over if a storm is predicted to arrive at night or early morning to cover early morning shifts until the day shift gets there. Still we manage every snowstorm to move our cars, whatever time of day it’s needed, before it comes. We put them in a municipal lot until the snow on the road is plowed, walk back and move them home after the plowing is done. It’s a hazzle but I do it so I don’t have to impede snow plows or dig out my car. I would not be able to do that every day.
These residents who have only on-street parking where they live are no different in their thinking than I or residents with off-street parking are. I don’t want to break the law, pay a ticket or pay to get my car out of impound. I don’t want to inconvenience anyone – neighbors or the city. I don’t want to dig my car out of a snow bank.
Isn’t it mostly renters who have only off-street parking permits for where they live. It’s rare to find rental units, particularly in older multi-family homes, with off-street parking. Newton already depends on on-street parking for its residents, including those building new rentals who are given waivers to provide less parking. I’m trying hard to understand any valid reason not to lift the ban. It’s certainly not because of a problem with wealthy residents parking their extra cars on the street.
The problems brought up are all supposition based on what these residents might do. Is it projection? Is it what you would do? It’s plainly about having compassion for those who are struggling with the winter ban – November 15 through March 15, I think.
Thanks Marti- thoughtful comment.
I would add that it’s not only renters that have inadequate parking. Not everyone has a lot that provides enough parking for an everyday solution.
Again. We do not owe people a parking space. If I said “I don’t have a sunny spot in my yard to plant a garden” which I knew when I bought the house, do I have a right to plant one on the street in front of my house which is beautifully sunny. Of course I don’t. I meet people all the time that have parking for 1 car but have 2,3,4 cars. Their kids live at home or they have taken in boarders, whatever. I met a woman who turned her garage into living space losing her only parking space and then complained when she was told by the city that she can’t park on the sidewalk. I have a neighbor that routinely parks across the sidewalk because her driveway isn’t long enough to fit her car but that is her choice. She could have made her driveway a few feet longer but it would then take a few feet of grass away from her yard. So instead she parks across the sidewalk making people walk into COMM AVE to walk around her car.
Alicia, your comment, the part not concerning planting gardens in the street, is about residents who have made bad choices regardless of a ban. More than likely, unless their cars are towed, their inappropriate behavior will continue. These are not the problems that a winter ban addresses.
Pure and simple large numbers of residents have no choice of where to put their vehicle. The main takeaways expressed in “we do not owe people a parking space” have more to do with the words “we” and “people” than parking. We represents the city of Newton and the people are residents of the city. The city of Newton prides itself on maintaining and increasing income diversity in the city. How does that policy fit with dictating only residents who can afford to live in homes with adequate parking are “owed” a parking space? Is it only these residents who should be pushed to give up their cars?
Marti does not address Alicia poignant point. “Pure and simple large numbers of residents have no choice of where to put their vehicle.”
People have a choice. I wish my house were bigger. I could have bought a bigger house without a garage, but I bought a smaller house with a garage and driveway so I would not force my neighbors to look at my 2006 Scion XB.
@marti One of the people who talked about not having enough parking – he owns 2 cars, his wife has one, each of his teeenage children have one and he has a boat. I don’t think his lack of parking space is an income issue. My neighbor who doesn’t want to take away from her yard space by even a few feet to make her driveway long enough to accommodate her cars lives in a house worth 1.3 million and counting (as they continue to renovate). We live in a community and choices need to be made for the good of all. I am a strong proponent of equity. It might be worth noting that increasingly low income households don’t own cars. MAPC says the cost of car ownership in MA exceeds $12,000 a year.
Like Greg and others have already remarked, many of these arguments have nothing to do with whether there is a snowstorm requiring streets to be cleared. If I can safely park one of my cars on the street in front of my house on Nov. 14th, why can’t I park it there from 0200 – 0600 on Nov. 15th if there is no snowstorm or snow emergency declared? Why does anyone care if it makes my life more convenient? If there is a snowstorm, I can easily make arrangements to squeeze into my driveway or partially on my front lawn but for most nights, the ban makes no sense.
Marti – I don’t believe it was said that anyone would be incapable of moving their car. I do know that what I said was that if there is no winter parking ban, potential buyers or renters will be more likely to consider properties without enough off-street parking to meet their needs, since they can park a car (or two) in the street. With the ban, they’ll pass on those properties. Similarly, without a ban, current residents who might want another car but don’t get one because they lack driveway space can go ahead and get one (or two.) The end result is a lot more cars in Newton, year-round. And when there is a snow emergency, where are they all going to go? There are limited numbers of spaces available in the limited number of municipal lots in the city.
As to the “Why does anyone care if it makes my life more convenient?” question. Whenever I find myself thinking that something I am doing or want to do should be OK because I don’t see any negative impact, I try to ask myself “What if everyone did it?” Because if it’s OK for me, it HAS to be OK for everyone else. If I get a 3rd car for my teenagers to use and park it on the street 24/7 because I don’t have space in my driveway (which I don’t), I don’t see how anyone else is inconvenienced. But if 5 other families on my block do the same thing, now we have a problem, because the street’s not wide enough. And when it snows, there’s not enough extra driveway space for all the street cars on the block, and the municipal lot is full.
For the record, I live in a neighborhood with narrow streets where most homes have a single driveway with room for 1 or 2 cars. I don’t have a garage, and neither do most of my neighbors. I would PERSONALLY benefit from getting rid of the ban (or at least my kids think they would) but I believe it would have a negative impact on the larger community.
Tricia, if the street is not wide enough than it’s a safety issue whether it’s July 15th or December 15th… Again more arguments that are not relevant to the reason the ban is in place only during the winter months. If you’re looking to legislate how many cars can be registered to an address based on the driveway and garage size, that’s a different discussion. If it snows then it becomes the responsibility of the car owner to figure out what to do with their cars so they are not causing a safety hazard and the street can be cleared. I don’t think an outright 4 hour parking ban every night during the winter is really the answer. I think we can all be responsible for our cars.
This is an interesting one because there are actually really good social arguments for both sides. It’s clearly a social equity issue that the winter parking ban causes the most difficulties for those most in need. At the same time, revoking it would inarguably encourage more cars when Newton probably already has a too-many-cars problem, relative to our density and access to transit. As much as it pains me – and it *really* pains me – to encourage additional car ownership via additional free parking, the social equity issue wins out: we already make it hard enough for Newton residents of relatively lesser means that it seems like the complete winter parking ban is one bridge too far.
(For what it’s worth, I have sufficient off-street parking, so there’s no personal benefit to me either way… though the side street that I live off of has 4-6 resident cars parked illegally on the ‘wrong’ side of the street 100% of the time, and they get ticketed only a couple of times a year. I have no problem imagining that those closer to commuter locations have even more issues with enforcement.)
I attended the City Council meeting tonight on this issue. It will not be solved this winter. There were maybe 4 citizens in total, none supporting removing the ban. Interesting points were raised but nothing extremely compelling for dropping the ban and many issues raised. More cars in total. More cars parking on the street instead of driveways, clogging up the streets, maybe eventually filling up the street. More people parking on the street from neighboring communities. More cars on the street means more cars will likely be accidentally still there when a snow emergency is put in place. This could cause a delay in snow clearing. Currently police are busy with emergencies and have to have 2 extra officers on duty to coordinate getting cars off the street (which they try to do by locating the owner and having them move the car rather than tow). Big kudos to Councilor Leary who asked many great questions (as always).
@Alicia: As a general rule, poor/disenfranchised people don’t go to government meetings, for which there are many reasons. Don’t mistake not turning out to a City Council meeting for not needing this antiquated ordinance to be reformed.
Is the matter officially over? If so, do you mind letting us know which councilors spoke against it, what their arguments were, and what the result of any vote was?
Thank you.
As someone who couldn’t make it (but yes, I should go to these things when I can) and who supports lifting the ban, I am curious as to what the arguments were. I understand that there was some resident opposition (likely for reasons stated above but I wouldn’t know), but I can tell you any opposition was not very likely coming from my street. Very disappointing if the city isn’t at least willing to try a limited pilot to see what actually happens rather than taking the easy route of inaction (idf that is indeed the result of the hearing).
No vote. It is being held. If PS&T comes up with a new policy recommendation, they will have a public hearing.
Something that the police said yesterday, they have 2 officers that are on special duty at the beginning of storms. Their only job is to try to get cars moved off of streets so they will be clear for the plows and I can tell you that not all streets qualify for this service (eg. my one block long street full of parked cars) so I know the impact of plowing around parked cars. No telling how many more police they will need if there is no ban.
There were two residents of Nonantum last night, both asking for the ban to stay mostly because they are worried about the effect of more cars being parked in their neighborhood and the ability of the streets to be cleared for fire department vehicles.
Councilor Fuller and Councilor Norton were leading the charge for removing the ban for the disenfranchised but had no comments on what would happen with these cars when the snow emergency was in place. We only need to look to Boston to understand what happens when you have no overnight parking bans. Streets are plowed, cars are plowed in. Owners dig out their cars throwing the snow onto the sidewalk or into the road. Leaving it for the city to deal with again and again. The streets become impassable. Some owners leave their cars until the city puts down its foot, car are then moved to parking garages and the city comes and clears up the road once and for all.
@Tom. I attend MANY public hearings. So yes I know that the poor and disenfranchised are WAY UNDER REPRESENTED. But I fail to see how they are helped by having their neighborhoods made unpassable and unsafe, because more cars on the streets means more will be in the way of plows. Yes the Fire Department did confirm that there have been cases where the fire trucks were not able to get down streets or have gone through then damaging cars because of DPW had not been able to plow around parked cars.
Maybe the city could get more creative . I understand many people without offstreet parking are currently using the public lots but they have to leave during the snow emergency. Could there not be some sort of plan where cars parked here could stay? The city could clear the lot in 2 parts. First do the unparked section. Then the overnight parkers would be gone during the day and the city could then clean that section? And for people who don’t live near a public parking lot, the city could investigate other options and encourage people to use apps like SPOT to look for neighbors who might be willing to share their driveway.
It was the feeling of many of the Councilors last night that without the ban the number of cars in the city would rise and that many people who park in their driveways would start leaving cars on the street. So even if you have no overnight parking ban, there would be streets where people won’t be able to park anyway because there isn’t enough space for everyone. And those cars would stay on the street during the day, making it hard for people that are looking to have guests or workers during the day would be without access to parking. Again, think BOSTON.
I still don’t buy the assumption that a ban lift will automatically lead to a rise in people leaving their cars during snowstorms. It’s just that- an assumption. On our street, people occasionally leave their cars during a storm regardless of the ban- if they are neighbors, we alert each other and the cars get moved. If not- well, a $20 ticket is not a deterrent and has nothing to do with a ban outside of snow emergencies.
Another factor: my street is resident only during the week, which cuts down on overnight parkers year-round again, not an option for a street like Tremont, but food for thought for folks who might want to do a little bit more work on a compromise that would help the people who actually need the relief.
@DOUG Two of the reasons given for lifting the ban were
1. Landlords who were having a tough time renting apartments because they didn’t have any/enough offstreet parking to meet the tenants desires
2. Residents who were annoyed by having to pull all their cars off their street piling them up on the driveway, pull onto the front lawn
If these are truly important reasons that affect enough people, this means there will be more cars on the street. With no restriction, less people will have a plan and more chances that cars will be forgotten. Leaving more work for police and DPW.
Yes with resident only parking you have less of an issue than everyone else.
As for compromises, I have offered one up. Have the city figure out a way to allow people parking in the public lots overnight to stay there during an emergency.
I would love to hear your solutions.
Agreed, the residents who need this ban lifted the most are greatly underrepresented in Newton city meetings, but that does not mean they should have no voice. I’m happy to hear at least two councilor’s are pushing for relief for those whose lives could be made a little easier. Doug says, it’s “Very disappointing if the city isn’t at least willing to try a limited pilot to see what actually happens rather than taking the easy route of inaction …” I agree. This was a special meeting to see if the ban could be lifted before November 15, 2016 but it was put on hold. Hopefully more discussion will continue soon.
Tricia, if commenting on a post I made, please don’t take my words out of context and misrepresent them.
My comment was, “I would find comments implying I’m incapable of planning what to do with my car when snow is coming, I’m incapable of moving my car in the middle of the night, early morning or during the day, or heck I’m just so inconsiderate and unwilling to follow the law, I’d just leave my car on the road during a snow storm.” This comment of yours “Marti – I don’t believe it was said that anyone would be incapable of moving their car.” is not in context and imply something quite different.
Alicia, Neal and Jeffrey made comments referencing my posts . I was going to address each of them but it proved to be too much trouble. So I made a list.
1. Theories presented without back up.
Tricia “But if there’s no parking ban, and therefore an increased number of vehicles in the city without an off-street home, …”
Neal, ” … this will only encourage more cars in the city.”
Tricia, “Right now, it’s self-selecting – if someone needs to have two or more vehicles, they don’t buy/rent those units. But without a ban, many will, figuring they’ll park on the street and deal with the snow when it happens. So now there are many, many more cars trying to find a place to go when it snows.”
Tricia, “Keep in mind, if anyone is allowed to park in the street all night, everyone is allowed to park in the street all night, and there will be a lot of work enacting new regulations on a street by street basis.”
2. Condescending comments that indicate lifting the winter parking ban will cause residents who have only off-street parking now to have no plan for parking during a snow emergency, for some unknown reason. The answer to all of these questions is that there is no reason they will not have made plans and could perhaps park them in the same place they will tonight.
Alicia, “If you don’t have anywhere to park your car at night during the winter, where are you going to park during a snow emergency?”
Alicia, “People who are scrambling in a snow storm go where exactly?”
Alicia, “The car stays on the street, covered with snow. The street is poorly cleared.”
Neal, “If you can’t find an off street spot on a clear night, how would you expect to find one during a snow storm?”
Neal, “If you own a car now, and live in Newton, you have made arrangements for off street parking every night during the winter months at least …That all goes away with the elimination of the winter ban. So, where will they go in a snow emergency? Nowhere, and it will cause quite the mess.”
Neal, “For the few storms a year you will be fined, a significant number will choose to leave their car on the street.”
Marcia, “NPD can issue emergency no parking, but this is difficult given snow storms happen in the wee-hours of the morning and it is difficult to move cars.”
Newton Highland’s Mom, “I agree with Alicia.etc that without the ban people will not have plans in place when it snows and will take their chances by leaving their cars parked on the street. A seasonal ban requires them to have a place to park.”
3. Comments implying that only those who can afford homes with off-street parking should be allowed to own a car.
Jeffrey, “In the world of Uber, public transportation, walking and riding a bike, owning a car is not a right.”
“Shouldn’t we encourage people to dump their cars? It is great for the environment.”
Alicia, “Again. We do not owe people a parking space. ”
Jeffrey, “People have a choice. I wish my house were bigger. I could have bought a bigger house without a garage, but I bought a smaller house with a garage and driveway so I would not force my neighbors to look at my 2006 Scion XB.”
Alicia, “It might be worth noting that increasingly low income households don’t own cars.”
4. Comments about parking issues that have nothing to do with a seasonal parking ban.
Jeffrey, “I know a lot very wealthy with 4 cars who use the street as their personal parking lot.” That Situation has nothing to do with a seasonal parking ban.”
Alicia, “I meet people all the time that have parking for 1 car but have 2,3,4 cars. Their kids live at home or they have taken in boarders, whatever. I met a woman who turned her garage into living space losing her only parking space and then complained when she was told by the city that she can’t park on the sidewalk. I have a neighbor that routinely parks across the sidewalk because her driveway isn’t long enough to fit her car but that is her choice. She could have made her driveway a few feet longer but it would then take a few feet of grass away from her yard. So instead she parks across the sidewalk making people walk into COMM AVE to walk around her car.”
Alicia, “One of the people who talked about not having enough parking – he owns 2 cars, his wife has one, each of his teeenage children have one and he has a boat. I don’t think his lack of parking space is an income issue.
Alicia, “My neighbor who doesn’t want to take away from her yard space by even a few feet to make her driveway long enough to accommodate her cars lives in a house worth 1.3 million and counting (as they continue to renovate).”
5. Preposterously, outrageous situations.
Jeffrey, “My house is small and I don’t have much storage space. The lack of storage is a burden/hardship on me. Is it OK, if I buy a portable storage locker and park it in the street in front of Emily’s (or Doug’s or Marti’s) house? Don’t worry, I’ll move it when it snows.”
Alicia, “If I said “I don’t have a sunny spot in my yard to plant a garden” which I knew when I bought the house, do I have a right to plant one on the street in front of my house which is beautifully sunny.”
6. Q & A
Tricia, “Keep in mind, if anyone is allowed to park in the street all night, everyone is allowed to park in the street all night, and there will be a lot of work enacting new regulations on a street by street basis.”
Parking Permits.
Jeffrey, “Let’s not make this into class warfare.”
I would like that.
Jeffrey, “Cars parked in the street is ugly. It ruins our city.”
Your solutions? Build larger and more parking lots, limit car ownership to residents who have adequate parking available off-street, demo homes that don’t have adequate off-street parking for their residents?
Marti – you were busy with the cut and paste. I am not certain what value that added.
I did offer a solution which wasn’t build more parking lots (especially as I am a fan of Prof. Shoup, UCLA economist author of the high cost of free parking). My solution was to better utilize the city owned parking lots we already have. Let’s try to learn from the communities around us. Brookline has a year round overnight ban. They offer spaces in their public lots and don’t require people to move during snow emergencies. Why don’t we start there? Boston has no parking ban thus plows around parked cars and people dig out. I lived there and I can tell you it isn’t pretty. The streets can be a mess of snow mounds all winter long.
This ban isn’t about annoying people, it is about keeping the street safely passable for all who need it including cars, school buses, trash trucks, delivery vans and most importantly ambulances and fire trucks.
Marti, I’m sorry you think I misrepresented you. When I said “incapable of moving their car” I assumed readers would know that I meant during a snow storm, since that’s what we’re discussing.
As to your other points – do you really believe that if overnight on-street parking was available year round, there would not be an increase in the number of cars with no off-street parking in the city? I know many people who do not get a second or third car because they would have no place to park it in the winter. Without a ban, there’s nothing stopping them. If I got another car for my kids and parked it in the street, what would I do when it snowed? Drive it up on the sidewalk or on my lawn? And I have no idea what you’re getting at in point 2. If people have off-street parking now, why do they need a plan for when it snows? As far as parking permits – that might be a possible solution. People could apply for on-street permits, and the city could limit the number granted and the areas where they would be allowable I guess.
Marti, thanks. You did a great job putting together the best comments on this blog!
Alicia – I lived in Brookline many years ago and hated the year-round ban. It meant I had to park in a small, badly lit lot then walk down a dark deserted street by myself late at night if I went out for the evening. I felt very unsafe coming home any time after about 9. I don’t think any woman should have to do that on a regular basis. It was a relief when I moved after a year to someplace where I could park in front of my house.
We had a really good discussion at Public Safety & Transportation. Based on that, my sense is that we might shorten the period of the ban (it’s currently Nov. 15 – April 15) and see if there is a neighborhood that wants to pilot a “no ban.” It’s very, very unlikely that the ban would be eliminated citywide.
@Alicia: Thanks for the update. We’ve got some smart people on this committee, so let’s hope at least one of them can put something good together by looking at the many communities that successfully operate without such an antiquated ban while avoiding the apocalyptic results I’ve heard suggested by some.
Ruthanne – I hope a change in the parking ban will include a specific proviso for streets that are 24 feet wide or less, or where there would be not adequate space for a safety vehicles to turn around with snow banks impeding them.
So would that proviso change the law to be a complete parking ban on streets less than 24 feet between 11/15 and 4/15 or just between the hours of 0200 and 0600? As per usual, I think this has become a much more complicated discussion than it needed to be…
@MGWA I would not want to walk from a parking lot to my home at night either. So, I if I couldn’t live without my car I would not rent or buy a spot without parking. If the parking is made more difficult it forces people to think about whether they really need their cars. For example, our former babysitter who lived with us, had a car. She moved to Brookline and realized quickly her dislike of walking from the lot. When she ran the numbers, she saw how much more it cost to own a car compared to a T pass, regular Uber rides and an occasional Zip car. She is now living car free.
When making a housing decision it is always a compromise and there is a need to prioritize what is most important and what is non-negotiable and go from there.
@Alicia – not everyone has easy choices. When I lived in Brookline with a car, I had just moved back to Boston for grad school without time to look for a place and grabbed a lot in a friend-of-a-friend’s apartment without knowing about the overnight parking ban. My grad school was in Waltham so I needed a car to get there. At another point, I ended up unexpectedly needing a car to get to a new job. I knew I was moving out of state in 8 months, so it didn’t make sense to try to get out of my lease and move to a more car-friendly location.
Circumstances change – and with them, so can the need for a car. It isn’t reasonable to expect everyone to move any time their need for a car changes.
@Ruthanne – thank you for the update. It seems like trying a pilot is an excellent idea. It may well turn out that lifting the ban in some neighborhoods but not all may make the most sense.
In my opinion, this debate paints a clear picture as to why Newton would benefit from more diversity amongst our leadership. With more persuasive arguments or pointed questions, I confidently suggest that the blanket punishment for violating this ordinance wouldn’t have increased by an egregious 400%.
For those interested, follow Jess Barton’s daily “winter” parking ban blog to see how ridiculous this disparate ordinance is. Link: http://newtonwinterparking.blogspot.com/2016/11/it-begins-november-15-2016.html?m=1.
Commenting here as I’m not sure this is worthy of a new thread – yet:
This morning (March 2), after a near 70 degree day, residents on our street (where off-street parking is difficult) awoke to find every car with a ticket on it. This is Exhibit A as to why we need to pilot a snow-only ban now, not later, as the ban especially enforced like this, preys on those with fewer options.
This example of enforcement, while following the letter of the law, is abusive and about as far from the spirit of the law as one can get.
It’s clearly a discriminating law that preys only on those whose homes don’t have big enough lots to allow for off street parking. It needs to go. Ticketing on a clear night in March amplifies the problem.
One of many ways that Mayor Setti Warren has increased economic inequality in Newton is by increasing the penalty for overnight parking by 400%. His enforcement of this blanket ban and silence in regard to how we could do better by Newton’s lower income residents is surprising given that he is running for Governor to “tackle economic inequality.”
To learn more about how we could do better, check out Jess Barton’s outstanding analysis at http://newtonwinterparking.blogspot.com/2017/06/winter-2016-2017-newton-winter-parking.html.
What is Scott Lennon’s position on the parking ban?
I assume the people who support the ban are in the wealthier zip codes who believe they own the street outside their home? Unfortunately, these are also the big donors supporting everyone’s campaign
Even the pricing structure for the parking ban makes no sense. Parking overnight on the street in the winter is $25, but obstructing traffic is only $15. Parking in a bus stop is also $15. The $25 fine puts parking overnight on the street at the same level as blocking a fire hydrant or parking in a crosswalk – which are both legitimate safety concerns. Parking in front of my house when there’s no snow on the ground or in the forecast is not more of threat to public safety than parking in a crosswalk. I remember moving my car at 5 AM in early April on day that hit 80+ degrees because it was before the seasonal ban ended and I knew I would risk a ticket, even though it was obviously not going to snow.
I understand the importance of snow removal. I’m happy to figure out alternatives for the nights where the City needs to plow and I think most other people feel that way, too.
But it’s hard to stomach the fact that Setti Warren is making income equality a priority when this increased parking ban ticket happened on his watch and it’s a law that really only affects the “lower” income Newton residents.
to Jeffrey Pontiff “I like the ban. In fact, I support an ALL year street parking ban. In the world of Uber, public transportation, walking and riding a bike, owning a car is not a right. Shouldn’t we encourage people to dump their cars? ”
Hey genius, I am an UBER driver and I live in Newton. How do you expect me to drive you anywhere if I don’t own a car because I live in Newton? You didn’t think that through did you?
It’s way past time to eliminate the arbitrary Parking Ban. It definitely economically discriminates against residents who have smaller lots with no room for parking. Wealthy residents who have plenty of off street parking on their large lots are not affected by this law at all except that they want to keep their streets pristine with no cars parked in front of their houses.
Get rid of it already. All Newton needs is a snow emergency ban.