Residential Pahking Program...not a bad thing

A public hearing on the newly proposed residential parking program was held last week. Chaired by Parking Clerk Paul Kelly and Sgt. Paul Strong, the meeting was well attended, with more than a hundred residents on hand to hear about the new program. There were a few elected officials in attendance.

On the face of it, the program doesn’t seem like a bad idea. All residents who pay excise tax to the city of Everett will receive a residential parking sticker, which will allow them to park on city streets. The restricted times will be from 11PM - 6AM, Monday through Friday, although a number of residents expressed their support for having the restrictions begin at 6PM or 8PM. The program will not guarantee anyone a parking space in front of their house, nor will it allow one to park at a meter without paying. It is the hope of the Ragucci administration that the program will cut down on congestion on city streets by forcing non-residents to find somewhere else to park, as well as getting commercial vehicles off the street. It looks like a good first step!

There maybe a few kinks to work out, but the program seems like a winner, although we would like to see the program enforced 24 hours a day! The City of Everett has become one of the largest and cheapest parking lots in the Commonwealth. A significant number of commuters, particularly from the North Shore, come to Everett to beat the $3 toll on the Tobin Bridge and park on our city streets. They grab a bus on Main Street or Broadway to the train station, and then in a few stops - they’re at work. Meter overtime tickets only cost ten bucks; that’s still twenty dollars cheaper than parking in Boston! There was an effort by Alderman Van Campen to raise the fines - but it was shot down by the Common Council last night (good of them to give out-of-towners a nice break). It’s about time for this sweetheart deal to end!.