City councilors are considering a proposal that potentially could lead to higher prices at some Newton Centre parking meters, John Hilliard from the Globe reports.
In a proposal to the City Council’s Public Safety and Transportation Committee in April, planning officials discussed increasing short-term parking fees in Newton Centre from 75 cents to $1 per hour on stretches of Langley Road, Beacon Street, and Centre Street, along with Centre Green, parts of Herrick Road, and Summer, Pelham, and Pleasant streets.
The same increase also would apply to the city’s Langley Road parking lot, and short-term parking at the Pleasant, Pelham, and Cypress lots.
The cost of short-term parking along Union Street, where the MBTA’s Newton Centre station is located and spaces are often scarce,would increase from 75 cents to $1.25 per hour.
Long-term 12-hour parking in Newton Centre would remain at 50 cents per hour.
You know who does not charge for parking: Amazon, DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc.
Good luck Newton Center.
Chestnut Hill Square and The Street offer free parking, as well, along with the Chestnut Hill Mall. Dedham Center’s parking lot is free, and Lexington Center’s parking lot is only $2 for unlimited time (there is an attendant, no meters)
Newton Centre is not a shopping mall. Free parking will encourage driving and lead to increased traffic. If we want vibrant village centers we have to price parking appropriately to encourage turnover and availability.
I wish there were better ways to get from one village center to another aside from driving. I think that could also help cut down on cars and full parking lots, etc. For me to take public transit from my neighborhood to Newton Centre it would be over a half hour for a 3 mile drive.
Interesting idea MMQC! Wouldn’t it be great if we could get a developer to fund a shuttle system that connected the Newtonville commuter rail station with the Green Line and to Needham Street? Better yet, add service downtown and to Cambridge. This could be transformative.
Raise the parking rates. Make those fees consistent throughout the city. Stop giving away free parking in Newton Centre after 6pm, when demand is at its peak.
@MMQC, there’s LimeBike. I remain skeptical of the business model but it could be a convenience. I think I heard something about Lime going 100% e-bike (electric assist pedaling), which would make that transportation option more viable for Newton’s hilly stretches. Maybe not a compelling option when it’s raining (like every day of April), but standing outside waiting for a bus in the rain isn’t pleasant either.
I know our remaining local taxis, Uber and Lyft are not public transport but they are widely available on call/via mobile app. Unfortunately as you note, all motorized vehicles whether busses or autos end up sitting in traffic with everyone else.
Most of the time we end up just going to our two nearest village centers, it’s less hassle.
There are many parts of Newton where public transportation is not a convenient option so people resort to driving even for short trips. Lime Bike is great, in theory, but the dock-less model doesn’t provide for a consistent location at which to rent bikes. Someone in a neighborhood may have a bike near their house one day, or even for a week, then when they want to rent one there is not a bike nearby. Plus, Newton’s total lack of protected bike lanes makes traveling by bicycle a non-starter for most people. I hope the shuttle that Northland is proposing can work, but I’m not sure why a shuttle is better than increasing MBTA service.
Brendan: it’s not better than improving the MBTA but it’s a solution within reach.
MBTA upgrades are an important but long term solution.
Any private system would need to coordinate with the T, as the 128 Business Council has proposed.
We can land a robot on Mars but not fix a local bus system – SAD!
I feel like LimeBike isn’t really practical. One reason is that I have young kids. Another is the few times I’ve looked up bike locations closest bikes haven’t been over a mile away! Plus, what if I ride it one way and can’t find a bike when it’s time to go home? I was pretty excited when LimeBike came to town but I’ve never even used it and am less likely now that they got rid of the regular bikes.
The purpose of metered parking is not revenue but rather to ensure a reasonable amount turnover–i.e. people come shop for a couple hours then leave and let someone else do the same–NOT park in the center all day (or all week/weekend) and then go off to Boston or vacation in Europe!
The problem with pricing the spaces too high is it further incentivizes parking in neighboring residential roads, which is perfectly legal but less than ideal as it clogs the narrow side streets and prevents residences from (having the luxury of) parking in front of their own house!
Look at Beacon St, west of Centre St: the most POPULAR parking space is the first spot WITHOUT a meter. You often see cars lined up down Beacon, where it’s narrow but free parking, while most of the metered spots are vacant. Cars traveling east/west on Beacon often have to take turns passing as it’s too narrow with all the parked cars. Increased fees will make this issue far worse.
And make no mistake about it: it’s not that drivers can’t afford higher meter fees, it’s just that they have cheaper options.
A couple things. Having had an office in Newton Centre for nearly 20 years, I know a thing or 2 about ( lack of ) parking.
1) There are somewhere near 40 12 hour meters in the Pelham Street lots. Yes, many people park there and commute on the green line to Boston. That’s why they’re 12 hours. Think about it. You’re welcome, Boston. And, no, people don’t park there and go to Europe for Pete’s sake.
2) All people think about ( including the councilors and the planning department, yes I’m talking about you ) are the customers, but there wouldn’t be any shops if there weren’t EMPLOYEES folks, where are they supposed to park? And no, the people working at Panera, the luggage store, etc. can’t all take the green line.
3) mike striar, you’re flat out wrong. There’s plenty of parking, at least in the Pelham Street lots after 6 pm. The peak time is 11-1:30 pm, which is when people come to Panera for lunch and meeting people. There’s also a noodle cafe that’s popular, and Sandwich Works, johnnys deli, etc. and a number of other eating spots and coffee shops.
4) There was a concept of letting business rent their extra parking spaces, but a) I don’t know any business that had “extra” parking, and b) insurance and lawyers will probably make that hard.
5) once in a while I’m able to snag a12 hour meter, but I often have to go to client sites for meetings, etc. and I lose the spot in minutes. An increase in the parking fee won’t do anything to curb the number of cars. It’s pocket change. I end up with 3 or 4 tickets a month which I price into my cost of business.
I’ve been intrigued and skeptical of the Lime business model. They are renamed Lime vs Lime Bike, presumably because that appear to be abandoning all bikes, pedal and e-assist.
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/article229431344.html.
I think it is just a matter of time before they pull the e-assist bikes. There a virtually none to speak of in Newton Center.
Today I accessed the app and there was a pop up message that reads
“Ride in Service Area Only. Lime bike riders, be aware that Boston, Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville are no parking zones. You will be fined a $25 retrieval fee if you park there.”