Residential Pahking: Part II

Citizens have been complaining about the lack of parking in Everett for decades, and the city has finally decided to do something about it. Residential parking programs are nothing new and have been in place in many surrounding communities. Everett has had an unworkable ordinance on the books for a long time, but little had been done until now.

The new residential parking program does, however, seems to have a raised the hackles of a few citizens, some aldermen, and a local newspaper. The program provides a residential parking sticker for all vehicles for which excise tax is paid. The hours in which the program would be in effect are midnight to 6:00 AM, which means the out-of-town "park and commute to Boston" parkers would not be affected...although we would certainly like them to be. Most affected will be residents with "company cars", commercial vehicles and long term visitors - although some provisions have been made for the visitors.

The Mirror has publicly stated that it would prefer the program to be in effect 24/7...so with all the backlash resulting from the new plan, why bother with this program at all?

The Independent pointed out that "Even if enforcement of the new parking program opens up additional spaces, they will be available after midnight, when most residents have already parked their cars and gone to bed." This thinking assumes that nearly all non-residential parkers will be parking until midnight!!! What the Independent didn't think through was this: what parker without a sticker (with the exception of the bar patrons) is going to want to go out and move his car at midnight? This means there is a strong liklihood that the cab drivers and other commercial vehicle parkers, who are also residents, are going to be looking for their parking solution long before midnight, and very likely right after work. It also means people who are "hosting" numerous people in their apartments for months and even years on end - people whose cars are registered in other cities - will have to find parking for them somewhere else. Right now - it's strictly first come, first served!

Police Chief Mazzie pointed out the affordability factor; it would cost the city significantly more money [to pay patrolmen for over time] to begin the program earlier in the day, and he isn't budgeted for it. That's understandable; Mazzie wasn't counting on putting this program in place last June, when his budget was set. The other reason that the time was set for midnight was to allow residents to have company over...without having to call into the police station quite so often. Some thought it was a nice gesture.

There have been some complaints by residents who have "company cars," and wish to park on the street. It's a legitimate concern, but one that doesn't have a quick solution. Opening up the program for "company car" residents will also open it up for cabbies and others. I'm not sure what the solution is to the problem, unless the company in question considers registering the car in Everett, since it's actually being parked overnight in Everett. One does have to wonder about insurance obligations....if a car is actually insured in say, Wellesley, but it's actually parked in Everett.

The program is expected to give Everett residents at least a shot at a reasonable parking space, which right now, isn't happening. Sgt. Strong did commit to revisiting the program, which holds hope that it will actually start earlier than midnight. Right now- why not give it a chance?