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Handwritten protests against higher meter fees in Back Bay
By adamg on Thu, 01/19/2017 - 10:22am
Somebody's going around the Back Bay taping protests to parking meters against the meter increase that went into effect on Jan. 3 as an experiment in demand pricing for parking. Scott Kennedy took the photo before he removed the tape on this meter and three others.
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Comments
Parking Meters
Boo hoo, try paying for a garage at $30 for 2 hours!
Boston parking meters have been underpriced for years, which encourages abuse (feeding the meter all day in violation of the 2 hour limit), and motorists endlessly circling the block to score a nice cheap spot.
Moving the meter prices more towards a market rate is a wise and long overdue move.
Oh, and it's "too much", not "to much".
Parking fees are an unecessary tax
We don't put tolls on all streets and roads, allowing free travel. Yet we place parking fees on streets.
"Market rate" = BS justification for an unfair fee.
I must've missed it
Where in the constitution is your right to a parking spot on Newbury Street enshrined?
2nd amendment part B
"In addition to the right to bear arms, the goverment will provide free parking to people who pay enough already but not to douchebags from the suburbs."
I must've missed it
I think you did miss the true issues with this... Possibly more insight into a neighborhood outside of yours is required.
Real issues?
Really, such as?
Disclaimer: You're right, the parking-meter doesn't affect me at all personally since I live in a part of the city where we don't have them, and when I do need to go to parts of the city where they do have them, I either take the T or, in extreme cases, just park in the Common garage. But I repeat my question to the person who asserted the right to free parking on Newbury Street: Where exactly is that right enumerated?
Sorta correct
We pay gasoline taxes, both state and federal, and then there's registration fees and grants coming back from the fed from the general fund.
Do you think roads build themselves?
Some places like VA actually have privatized some of this, leading to huge tolls on roads. Or Chicago privatizing parking.
The prices make this below market rate seem quaint.
Have you never driven on the
Have you never driven on the Mass Pike?
1937 SJC Opinion on new-fangled parking meters
I ran across this 1937 SJC Opinion on the proposed installation of parking meters on Massachusetts streets years ago while researching the rights and responsibilities of those of us sharing a small private way. I found it oddly fascinating, and as this topic seems to have hit a nerve, I'm betting others will agree it's worth a read: http://masscases.com/cases/sjc/297/297mass559.html
Wahhh
Wahhhh wahhhhh wahhhhh wahhhhh. Storing my large piece of personal property COSTS MONEY! I'm being expected to pay LESS than what it costs!
NO FAIR! (stomps)
Don't worry
One day you too will be able to afford that large piece of personal property. In the meantime, back on the bus you go!
1980 Called
It wants to talk to you about those overdue fines on that antiquated economic and social status point of view that you never returned.
Many cycle commuters I know make high six figures and own really nice cars. So do many of the lawyers who ride the express buses. They use them for road trips to their vacation homes, not for driving into the city.
And your point is what you
And your point is what you pretentious pig?
Charming
Pig.
I guess Trump really does represent the Republicans in that you can't express a contrary option without personal slurs.
Cars as a primary element of core city transportation should be of secondary priority to public transit, bike paths, etc...
Do you need me to explain any of the big words like 'transportation' or 'transport' or tricky abbreviation like 'etc'?
Ad homs. Nice.
I would imagine that her point is that car ownership is no longer a status symbol, as it was 30+ years ago, and that she was able to cite several examples of high-earner who ride a bike or take the bus. Furthermore, contrary to the patronizing remark made by the anon to whom she is replying, assuming otherwise makes you look like the uneducated rube in the exchange.
However, I wouldn't presume to put words in someone's mouth, as that would make me a pretentious pig.
A compliment, really
I'd far rather have a pig in my house than someone this backward and ridiculous polluting my personal space.
Pigs are cute, way smarter than Republican here, and very grateful when you give them the leftover mash from your homebrewing tun.
A magical animal
And they turn garbage into pork.
Protein Composters!
The importance of this to people spreading across the Pacific islands cannot be underrated!
Dogs Look Up To Us—Cats Look Down On Us—Pigs Treat Us As Equals
Winston S. Churchill
As classy as...
... your party's new leader. Good work.
Do you pay a toll on every PUBLIC street you use?
Then why should you pay a fee to park your car on those same PUBLIC streets. This is an unfair tax on drivers and should be abolished.
It's not a tax. It's easily
It's not a tax. It's easily avoidable, just park somewhere else. Boston has plenty of free on-street parking, though it may not be in close proximity of your destination.
Please do tell, where is this
Please do tell, where is this free on-street parking in Boston of which you speak?
Free parking almost everywhere after 8pm
After 6 in some spots. Except for residential parking. Free all day Sundays too. And there is still a lot of non-metered parking in the city, but certainly not in high demand areas. That's the point.
Okay anon
If you are arguing that public parking should be free, then you are also arguing that everyone who does not own a car should be getting a rebate.
Should people without
Should people without children get a rebate as well?
Huh?
That logic makes absolutely no sense. We get it Swirly, you hate cars and drivers and adore cyclists. But what's good for the goose isn't good for the gander in this case. Non car owners don't pay an excise tax for the right to use roads, no? So no driving down city streets isn't free like some think.
An Exercise
Compare the revenue from excise taxes, and gas taxes and whatnot, tolls, to the expenditure on roads: building, maintaining, plowing, all that.
Revenue doesn't come close to expenditure, and those of us who don't drive are propping up those who do.
Now factor in the externalities - pollution and its effects, deaths from crashes, poor health outcomes from lack of walking, - you've got an even bigger problem.
Whether you drive or not
You get the benefits of having paved roads. Groceries have to be delivered to the super market, UPS needs to be able to deliver packages. Roads aren't solely for those who own cars.
That's what pricing is for
And then a thing that has to be shipping from far away is likely to be more expensive than a thing that doesn't. So we buy the thing that is cheaper, and the pollution from shipping the thing a long way doesn't happen. So now you as a driver have fewer trucks to deal with! (Unless it was shipped by rail, which is so efficient that the added cost of externalities is pretty darned small.)
Reality hates cars
Look it up dear. You are clearly new here if nobody has schooled you on this.
Tax foundation has the stats - http://taxfoundation.org/article/gasoline-taxes-and-user-fees-pay-only-h.... What drivers pay doesn't come close to the costs of even maintaining roadways. Not even in MA.
I don't hate cars
I just bought one, actually, to replace the one that had to go back to VW.
I merely challenge the notion that driving is some sort of protected activity whereby drivers have little responsibility and having a motorized vehicle entitles you to subsidies and priority on the road. Particularly when there isn't any space for vehicles and there are serious health impacts that result.
Boston was not built for motor vehicles. It was built for humans and things that move pretty much at the speeds that humans can move on their own. Forcing cars into our urban space has done untold damage to our city.
Cars are also expensive and should not be a requirement of participation in the economy.
That argument doesn't work
This argument comes up time and time again, and I'm sorry, it just doesn't work. It's weak. There are cities much older than Boston (Rome, anybody?) that have adapted to progress as best they could (Yes, I drove in Rome once - wow). We didn't just jump from 1900ish to 2017. We've progressed slowly and made changes along the way and adapted. Is it perfect? No, it's never perfect. But, even the newest city can be a clusterfark if there's enough cars.
FWIW, I support the new meter pricing and I don't even live in the city. I don't think the price should be anywhere near market rate, though.
And you said it right there...
"I don't even live in the city". So I think you are both unqualified to comment on this and in particular as it is a neighborhood that you don't live in, know and fail to understand this is more of a tax on the poor to moderate income.
And you clearly don't believe..
That they are necessary for commerce. I live in the city and hate them. Hate owning one. Hate parking one. But I work outside the city and spend my day going from construction site to construction site. I have an SUV as I haul large amounts of stuff around. I suppose I could do this by bike (48 hours later I have completed my 8 hour day) or by ride sharing (Uber driver: That will be $675 for today's job site visits) but for some reason this does not seem practical to me. Suggestions? You seem to have all the answers! But your always so right-I could sell my place, move to JP (where my rent would be more then my mortgage) work at the local co-op, walk or bike to work, make $10-12/hour and truly be happy with my 3 stoner roomates while I watch my life dither away. We all have different lives and their is a diversity of people, needs and jobs that make up any city, it's life and commerce. Get a clue-they are available on most game shows for $200.
I know who did this
Obviously Adam did this, to generate page views as people in the comments argue about cars in the core of the city.
Obviously
With so little snow the normal space-saver related pageview income must be way down.
At least he has the summer and posts about bikes and off-lease dogs to look forward to.
I Know You Can Lease Cattle, But Do People Really Lease Dogs?!!
( unlike off-lease cattle, hopefully off-lease dogs don't get made into hamburger! )
I Found Out You Actually Can Lease Dogs!
Adorable!
A driver hits a pedestrian
A driver hits a pedestrian and possibly kills them earlier this week and drives away from the scene: crickets from the drivers. The city starts charging a rate that is still below market level for parking: HOW DARE THEY WE ARE TEH REAL VICTIMZ!!1!
$3.75 per hour for curbside parking is too much?
You can always go to a garage and pay at least $15 for the first hour if you prefer.
A problem with pricing public property
You make the price higher, and you turn it into another way to give public property to wealthy people.
Wealthy people don't like having trouble finding a parking space? Heaven forbid they should use public transit like normal people! Charge a fee for public property use, at a level that wealthy people don't notice, but that is prohibitive for more non-wealthy people. Wealthy people are now happy. Problem solved!
You could also argue that
You could also argue that charging the wealthy high parking fees generates funds that can support services for people who are less fortunate. Say, for instance, those who cannot afford cars and need to take public transit. These people sit on a bus in traffic caused by people who decide to drive alone in their car. Fewer single occupant cars = less traffic and more accessibility for all.
Now I'm not saying that the meter money is used to subsidize transit, but on street parking isn't a right. There are streets that have no parking at all and people still make it to work, frequent businesses, etc.
The idea is that the average person makes the "wrong choice" to drive into the urban core; a decision based on cheap parking and convenience. That convenience comes at a cost for everyone. The City is trying to find the right balance and I commend them on trying that out with this TRIAL.
Damned if you do, Damned if you don't.
Supply & Demand curve is mostly a rule and not a guideline.
The truth is here, yes this tends to favor those who can and will pay for the ease of use. The fact remains that it is also a good way for the city to separate these lazy rich people from their money, while dealing with the lack of supply for a public good.
Turn around and push the money into housing, schooling, and transportation and it might be a good tradeoff. Even more so with our liberal progressive senabilitities if we can keep the rich from gaming the political system on the backside as is done so frequently.
Cars sitting in cheap public parking all day are really no good for anyone. Quick stop parking and walkable neighborhoods tend to drive neighborhood economics.
Consider this
Are there better things that this space could be used for? Renting it out for garden plots and such?
If it is truly public, then it should be available for more than just storing your private property of a very specific sort.
Think a little bigger - outside the metal box - and there is a lot of public good to be had with all this space.
Otherwise, realize that you are being subsidized and be quiet so that we don't all notice.
I don't drive
Taking back public space back from cars would be extremely nice, but it's not going to happen in greedy and stubborn Boston.
While you are talking about turning parking spots into little public gardens, the wealthy will rob you blind, and you still won't get your pollution-infused zucchini.
Bus lanes
Or turn parking into dedicated bus lanes--public transit serves more people and should get priority. If the buses move better they will work better.
And realize...
That this is the largest and most important retail area of the city and properly needs parking to continue as such. It's a joke to suggest that maybe this is better for garden plots-get a grip. This is more the tail of how to best manage urban properties for the best of the city, residents and visitors. Don't get me wrong-I hate cars and hate driving, parking and commuting. I'm an Architect who also studied (and worked on projects) in urban design-most in the wonderful city of Portland Oregon (which Boston is not). I spent my early years working on Public Transit projects there and ways to make the city walkable. But there is also the reality that this DOES NOT cover all aspects of what is needed for a urban retail shopping area that attracts visitors from all over the region and the world. It's great to see your comments and those of others that reflect your view of the world. That said, it is a very limited, and frankly, uneducated, view of proper solutions to urban design and infrastructure issues. Just saying...
Good God.
It is not just "wealthy people", Snuggles. From time to time, I might need to drive into the city. And I do use public transit most of the time like, as you say, a normal person.
Perhaps you might not of noticed that our public transit, well, has some issues?
When You Need To Drive In, Do You Also Expect On-Street Parking?
The fact of the matter is, there aren't enough on-street parking spaces in Boston (or any major city) for the number of people who might wish to just drive in and park on the street. Even if every street in Boston had parking on both sides, there still wouldn't be enough spaces.
On those occasions when you need to drive into Boston, do you depend on also finding an on-street parking space? Do you always find spaces available? If not, how much time do you spend "circling the block" looking for a space to park?
So you're saying street parking should be abolished altogether?
Works for me, let's turn it all into bus and bike lanes.
Cars Wouldn't Clog The Streets Looking For Parking Anymore
"give to wealthy people"?
"give to wealthy people"? they wealthy people are paying for the privilege to park, and the city government can disburse those funds to the poor and needy as your elected officials see fit. It's as close to Robin Hood as it can get.
What's bizarre the "street parking should be free" people is that it doesn't seem to register that the city could take any given parking spot downtown, parcel it, deed it, and sell it to the highest bidder, and suddenly that 20 x 8 foot plot is worth up to half a million dollars. Why should the city be renting it out for $1.25 an hour? $1.25 an hour wouldn't even cover the annual tax bill.
But you make the ASSumption
That it's wealthy people that primarily park at the meters. Most of them go to the lots/garages. Or have spaces in the area. You will find, with few exceptions, that is not the case (I'm looking at you dude with Champagne colored Bentley that parks on the street every weekend). Workers and out of towners. It's hurting workers and commerce more than wealthy people. Spend a day on the street, open your eyes, talk to people from this area and learn what really goes on. I've spent 35 years here doing that.
Why remove it?
Scott, why did you remove the tape? Do you think that your fellow citizens who think the meter rates are too high should be discouraged from voicing their concerns? Would you support higher meter fees?
Vandalism
It is vandalism.
311 remains available, regardless of the removal of the tape.
Can I advertise a particular political space on your house with spray paint? How about at your bust stop or other "public" wall? Would you saying no to that be discouraging citizens from explaining when Marty Lost Them or whatever?
Spray paint? It clearly looks
Spray paint? It clearly looks like easily removable tape in the photograph. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Removed them because...
The main reason I removed them was because you can't just put stickers on things that don't belong to you. Another reason is it isn't an appropriate way to voice your disagreement with the price increase. I also don't agree, $3.75 an hour is still pretty cheap for parking.
A sensible rule of thumb for
A sensible rule of thumb for actions like this is whether they are "reversible". Putting a piece of tape on one marking meter is reversible, because it's trivial to peel it off. Spray paint is not considered reversible, since it requires significant time/money to remove it. Reversible is ok, or at least not horrible. Irreversible is something to avoid.
Now
If only we could only do something about traffic congestion pricing.
I've noticed the new issue is when 93 gets backed up, idiots try to get off the interstate to get around the tunnels. So then the surface roads get just as backed up as the tunnels/pike. And all of Boston becomes a sea of red.
With another 150,000 residents expected to move in in the next 30 years, it'll have to come.
Time to institute congreston pricing for those passing through or coming into the city. Funnel the money to transportation projects.
Waze
I blame Waze.
higher fees
i just wrote the same thing on my Verizon bundle ripoff/bill. ill let you know what i hear back.
Waze is wonderful
Nothing more to add.
Time to build more housing that isn't "luxury condos"
So these 150,000 people can afford to live near work, or at least near public transit, and don't have to own cars, or drive.
Somewhat.
But we are already starting to see downward pressure on old stock prices and rents due to oversupply at the top. Buildings and homes that otherwise would have been gutted and renovated and thrown back at top of the line prices..
Granted, prices are still increasing. But they're increasing less now, allowing some income earners to catch up.
You never want prices declining in housing anyways. You got a bigger economic problem when you do, and housing is the least of your worries. The only way out is wage growth and slowing the prices in the middle of the market. Easier said than done.
BikerGeek, I totally agree...
BikerGeek, I totally agree... however, we both know that isn't going to happen. Developers want to maximize their dollar and that means catering to the ultra wealthy Saudi millionaires who want a sparkly new pied-à-terre when they jet into Boston on business once per month.
Companies are claiming that they can't hire enough skilled employees, however, Mayor Walsh and those in charge are pricing recent grads out of the city. While at the same time GE and other wealthy corporations are getting millions in tax breaks. However, we must make up for that by tripling fees on Boston residents. If I were so fortunate and blessed with brains as to be a an MIT graduate there is no way in hell I would stay here. It's too expensive! What do people call it? Brain drain?
Protest Idea
I used to suggest to my grandmother, who was prone to rant about cigarette taxes, that she simply not pay them! By not buying cigarettes, of course.
Don't like curbside parking charges? Don't pay them - don't bring a car into the city and park it at the curb. In this case, however, it might be effective if this is demand pricing - lower the demand, the price goes down.
What if you know, you need your car?
To say just don't smoke is one thing, but to say don't drive, is unrealistic for some people. Like those who have to pick up kids, or drive for work, or for any other totally valid, and necessary reason. For the record I don't agree with on-demand pricing and I don't believe a city should be looking to gouge its citizens like that. This has nothing to do with reducing demand, if that was truly the goal they would raise prices all the way to match garages, but doing that would be shooting itself in the foot. The goal is to make more money, not reduce the number of cars on high traffic streets.
We know how unreliable the T can be so that isn't a real alternative for some people who have schedules to keep.
By "gouging" you mean CEASING
By "gouging" you mean CEASING TO SUBSIDIZE DRIVERS. I'm sick of paying a ton in property taxes so that rich people with cars can pay next to nothing to park while I commute every day on the broken ass MBTA.
Again, huh?
That's not how any of that works.
People are complaining about
People are complaining about $3.75. They'd be burning down City Hall if they raised them as much as you are suggesting, even if that indeed may be where the price needs to end up to have an impact on demand. (I don't think the price does need to get that high, because people are VERY price sensitive when it comes to parking.)
The City picked $3.75 as a reasonable number for a pilot program. It will be able to show them if raising the price has any effect on demand. If it has even a small effect, it will have been successful. If the effect is not enough, the City will have to raise it further. The City does not want to raise it any more than they have to. They know that that would not benefit drivers or local businesses.
To reduce the demand..
It must be cost prohibitive. Any cost below the price of admission to a pay garage does nothing to effect demand.
Any cost below the price of
Not true. A price that's higher than the old price but lower than a garage may discourage someone who otherwise would have parked there from parking at all, and at the very least it will encourage people to look elsewhere - like in a nearby neighborhood that doesn't have demand pricing. It also affects the point at which you decide to give up on circling the block looking for parking and decide to just park in a garage instead. The less the price differential between meters and garages, the less time people are comfortable wasting looking for a meter space.
Demand exceeds supply, obviously.
For each incremental increase, a certain number of drivers will say that's to much and I'm not parking there. But demand is such that someone else will take that spot. There are people currently paying garage prices, so there's still a demand at that price point. I'm of the mindset that all meter prices are about generating revenue, and not looking out for citizens. My argument is, if the goal is to reduce demand, then make it prohibitive for the average person to afford, which garages are a lot of times. If the goal is to increase revenue, come up with some silly justification for 'on-demand' pricing and watch your coffers fill three-fold. Or to put it another way, if all spots will still be full, what demand did they reduce? None. But there sure did increase their own receipts.
The Mayor's explicit
The Mayor's explicit rationale for the higher pricing wasn't so much to discourage people from driving and parking, it was to discourage people from keeping the spot all day. Problem is, this higher pricing doesn't seem likely to be much of a disincentive and I doubt it will do much to curtail that problem. A better solution would seem to be simply to increase the fine for parking on a block more than 2 hours. Why not making it $75 instead of $25 or $30 or whatever it is now? I know in the Back Bay they aggressively ticket for this as it is, so it's not like it would have required any increase in resources. This pilot seems to be nothing more than a way to test out higher meter rates, not to solve the problem of spot hoarding.
There are literally THOUSANDS
There are literally THOUSANDS of free parking spaces in the Boston area. It costs $0 to get a residential sticker in Boston. Drivers in MA pay less and less every year in gas tax while T users pay more and more every year. There are people being gouged around here, but it sure as hell aren't the greedy drivers.
Agreed
I'm not gonna sit here and say that the price they are asking is too much (it's not) but trying to frame this as anything but a money grab is disingenuous. They raised the price a few years back to $.25 for 12 mins instead of 15. Raise it again across the board if you need money. Saying raising the price to these levels will REDUCE demand for these spots in DOWNTOWN BOSTON is insulting everyone's intelligence. The spots will still be full from now until the ocean swallows this town.
Right
Demand Pricing.
So the price goes up when demand is there. It goes down when there is less to keep spaces filled. The plan is not to change parking habits for the moment, but to price to keep spaces filled during this trial and find the optimum pricing.
It doesn't have to reduce demand
It's not like we don't already know how much drivers value parking. However much the parking garages nearby are charging, is what the market will bear. I don't usually make arguments from pure economics, but this is one of those black-and-white cases where we know the answer, full-stop. If people weren't willing to pay it, the garages would go out of business or lower their prices. The ones downtown don't seem to be hurting for business. QED. Meanwhile, the city has been providing a nearly-free lunch to drivers for decades, and has decided to raise prices from 5% of market value to 15% of market value. I'm sure y'all will find a way to deal with it, or will find other means of transit to get into the city.
(Yes, I drive. No I don't drive when I want to go downtown, because that would be crazy)
A lot of companies.
subsidize and/or cover parking fees. Surely you don't think the guy who works in the mail room drives to work and parks in a garage every day. One trip through a garage looking at the types of cars parked there says a lot.
And a lot of companies don't.
And a lot of companies don't. In fact I don't personally know anyone who works downtown and gets subsidized parking. I know my building would be happy to sell me a parking permit - for somewhere in the neighborhood of $600/month.
I can name a few C-level execs
That I know personally who get reimbursed in full for parking. I can also name a couple security guards who get pretty sweet parking spots free of charge. And I can reasonably assume there are C-level guys at other companies who get this same benefit. Just because you don't know of anyone doesn't mean no one exists who gets that benefit.
Explain
What is a "c-level exec"?
Because even the president of my company pays for her own damn parking.
CEO, CFO, COO, etc
Not all companies are created equal my friend. No where did I say all c-levels get this benefit, but of course there are some that do. I even know of a guy who claimed he had to drive into the city due to his kids, requested more money in his offer letter, and got it.
.
.
And just because you do know
And just because you do know of someone who does doesn't mean the majority of people do get this benefit. That logic works both ways.
Also, good job limiting the scope to corporate executives after the fact.
Use a private garage
When my husband and I decide that cycling over black ice isn't a great idea, or when we need to go fetch our kid at college directly after work, that's exactly what we do.
Pick-up kids
Ok, where in the Back Bay / South End / Downtown do you need a cheaper parking meter park your car to get your kids? We're not putting meters on residential streets in Hyde Park here...
Wait a quick second
In the metered areas, there is a theoretical limit of 2 hours, using one of these spaces after driving to work is technically illegal even if it were free. As for the kids thing, I did the math, and 4 minutes is $.25. Let's be honest, it's going to take more than 4 minutes to pick up a kid, so let's say you put in a buck for a quarter hour. Ask yourself this question- what do you think the daily rate is for daycare in the areas where you get 15 minutes of parking for a buck? A lot more than I paid in Roslindale, you can be assured.
If these rates cause more turnover, it's a success. If no one parks anymore, perhaps the rates should be lowered.
Obnoxious. There's clearly
Obnoxious. There's clearly some kind of instructions/info being covered up. Couldn't put the sticker on the upper part of the metal where there's nothing there?
Tripling parking meter rates
Tripling parking meter rates for the blue collar working class, such as plumbers, electricians, guys doing construction work... just sucks. I get raising meter rates, but tripling? That's too damn much.
Wouldn't the cost of parking
Wouldn't the cost of parking just get built into the price of their services? Would you rather these service people not be able to find a space and waste time circling around and around?
The T fare has gone up way
The T fare has gone up way more than the average parking meter in this city in recent decades. Same for the gas tax. Drivers are spoiled babies who are subsidized heavily by taxpayers.
The workers you mentioned don't care about the cost of meters because they don't pay them. They just illegally park at meters for hour after hour, or they block bike lanes or park on sidewalks. Look at the dashboards of their vehicles. They are littered with parking tickets because they have no respect for the law. The just pass the cost of the tickets on to their customers.
I pay $116.50 a month for a MTA pass
A lot more than what I paid in Mass. This idea that the T is over priced is simply wrong.
Yes, but look at how much
Yes, but look at how much more you get for that extra $32/month!
24/7 service!
True express service!
Far more reliable and frequent service!
236 route-miles of service instead of 64!
24/7 service!
24/7 service!
Not true per se, depends on which line, and which stop. For example the Wall Street stop closes after 11, I've had to walk a few city blocks, or get on the local train a few times.
True express service!
You think MBTA trains are crowded? Try getting on an express train during rush hour anywhere after the first three stops.
Far more reliable and frequent service!
Maybe, but that's only because the T is abhorrent when it comes to reliability. These trains break down too.
236 route-miles of service instead of 64!
Yes, but that comes with the caveat of it being NYC trains where anything is possible. As I mentioned on UHub last week, someone took a #2 on the #2 train. You get harassed by 'performers' every day, and you'll find at least one shouting match as well. Not to mention the young lady who was pushed in front of a train and died, by some nutjob who said she had a dream she did it, so woke up and did it.
I've had to walk a few city
Oh you poor, poor baby! It must be so awful for you having to take the local train at night because the express train isn't running! I don't know how you manage to cope!
Wow, what a warped sense of
Wow, what a warped sense of reality you have. Get enough tickets and your car gets booted. Got unpaid parking tickets? Good luck renewing your license or registration. It's not going to happen until you pay the tickets, late fees. etc. But that's a nice fantasy you have there K. Maybe you should change your attitude and the world might look a little brighter to you. Your hatred is clearly affecting your view of the world. Just sayin bro.
The city has parking permits
The city has parking permits for contractors to reserve spaces in front of job sites for the duration of a project. But that would involve the contractors waddling their asses over to a second window at City Hall while they are pulling their other construction permits and bill it to the client.
You do realize that they are not free, right?
https://www.boston.gov/departments/public-works/how-get-street-occupancy...
For trucks making deliveries
For trucks making deliveries and things like that, but definitely not for employees like plumbers, electricians, etc.
You're not a city boy, are you?
Construction workers get an all day, multiple site parking pass in the city. Around 7am they get a nice orange pass delivered right to their illegally parked work truck by a nice lady in vest.
They keep it visible on their windshield all day which allows them to move around and park wherever they want. For $40 they can park where most people can not, and never get hassled.
Not a bad system, and just part of doing bussiness in the city. But $40 is cheap for what's essentially a park hopping pass when you compare it to the stay in one location garages.
Especially when you look the city price for permitting curbside space for a worksite or for a moving truck. Hint: it's a lot more than $40.
Even better than that
There are lots of commercial parking spaces where you can park for free. Also, commercial vehicles can park in resident permit spots (you need commercial plates and the name of your company permanently affixed to your vehicle) - but in general most contractors can still get free parking or pay for an hour or two of parking and get it later. I have also had contractors charge a "transit" fee - which is code for "I'm assuming I'm going to get ticketed and you're paying for it whether I do or not".
Those people you list
should have commercial plates and free parking in commercial zones. If they are impatient and want to park in a metered spot then they need to pay the fee, sorry. If they do not have commercial plates that is on them.
Blue collar yes
but c'mon plumbers and electricians make bank in addition to all the reasons listed by other commenters. The person who is getting hosed here is someone working at a phone store or the like who had to drive in to work at a low paying job.
Why would an employee be
Why would an employee be parking at a 2-hour meter?
Very common
Retail workers, hairdressers, chiropractors and many more have been commuting in by car for years. They have the park and move routine down to a science. Unfortunately science just tripled in price.
The meter rate increase
The meter rate increase should help to curb this behavior as well then. Meter spaces are for short term parking (in particular customers) not for employees. Opening up more of these spaces to be able to be used by customers will benefit the local businesses. Employees should be parking in garages, or if that's too expensive, using another way to get to work.
construction workers don't pay parking
they park there before meters start and never feed them. If they haven't already put an old ticket under the wiper as a trick, they expense the tix they get and the company pays it - cost is passed through to the client. They don't care about raising rates since they don't pay them now. Their billable rates are such that it's cheaper to do this than to free them every 2-4 hours to find a new spot. The only one that maybe doesn't is the foreman, who typically will get a monthly garage spot paid for them by the company since they're there every day. Nice try appealing to class though.
I'vew been working
I'vew been working construction in Boston for 24 years now and I have never gotten a free parking spot. I used to park in the fan pier mud lots back in the day when they existed, but never, ever have I gotten a free parking spot. What fantasy blue collar hating world are you living in?
company paid parking tickets
I work for a company that does a lot of work in the city. the techs park in meter spots and the company pays for the tickets. they don't move from spot to spot. many of them cant park in garages because of restrictions and the fact that they have to haul tools and equipment. the only rule is no handicap spots and no hydrants.
Perhaps you should replace it
Perhaps you should replace it with a sign that says:
"Think $3.75 an hour is too high? Would you prefer that all the spaces be full? You're welcome."
or no parking
And we don't have to store people's hulking personal property on the street.
And we just have nicer streets, wider sidewalks, and safer bikers/pedestrians.
And much less noise pollution
And much less noise pollution. And no more auto exhaust that causes asthma and lung cancer. if Oslo can ban cars from their city center than we can too.
If we had a much better public transit system
then we would have fewer drivers into the city.
Until that time....
convenience parking
People using meters are only very rarely commuters. They are "dropping in" to run errands or go to a meeting. The spaces are a convenience unless there is a disability involved.
I'm not sure transit availability would change that. It might help if there were more bike racks - at least part of the year - but even then it may be a matter of hauling stuff or coming from a transit deficient place.
I mean, I'm all for car-free
I mean, I'm all for car-free cities, but we're still going to need the bus system.
Streets are made for cars, get over it.
And I'm not even a car owner! But this idea that everyone but the arrogant driver is getting hosed is just wrong.
so move
There are plenty of places in this great country — most places, in fact — where you're right.
So why again are you staying in Boston?
Oh they are, are they?
Oh they are, are they?
What kind of cars did the Romans drive?
Not in Boston they weren't
Nearly all of Boston's streets - including the broad boulevards of Comm and Mass Aves, were designed and built for pedestrians and drawn-carriage - before motorized autos were ever a common sight in America.
Original Plans for Commonwealth and Boylston
No car lanes
Bike lanes in each direction.
Oh, and cyclists were the ones who got the roads in this country paved, dearie.
How about a year-long pilot
How about a year-long pilot program that targets ONLY the Roslindale neighborhood -- let's triple the meal tax on Roslindale restaurants. You don't NEED to eat out, so let's just see what happens. Maybe there will be less people going to restaurants so less traffic in Roslindale, right?
Good thing you don't work in a produce department
Because you seem unable to differentiate between apples and oranges.
There are numerous things wrong with your idea, starting with the fact that, unlike parking spaces in the Back Bay, the number of seats in Roslindale restaurants is not fixed. If demand goes up, restaurant owners can add seats and hours (like, maybe the new Derna's would finally open). You can't do that in the Back Bay. Oh, wait, you can - it's called that garage on Newbury Street, and it charges tons more than meters and IT MAKES MONEY so there's obviously demand.
How about polling local
How about polling local businesses and restaurants to see what the feedback from their driving/ non-driving customers is?
How would they know?
Someone walks in your door, off the sidewalk, and you have no idea if they came with a car or came on foot or off the T. You might know a bike was involved if they have a helmet, but that's about it.
I tend to shop and eat at the
I tend to shop and eat at the same local places every week... so I've gotten to know the people that work at these businesses and we chat. Lots of businesses get to know their regular customers... it's not unusual. Furthermore, I didn't mean this to be a suggestion that would lead to a serious scientific study, just an informal polling of local businesses.
Budget. Transportation Department. Parking Clerk...
Budget. Transportation Department. Parking Clerk
https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/imce-uploads/2016-10/13_stree...
Personnel data. Transportation Department
http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/databases/payroll
Interesting article from 2012 on parking in Boston
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/2012/10/the-take-parking-in-boston/
Tripling the parking rate for
Tripling the parking rate for Bostonians while guess who is about to vote to give themselves a raise... "Mass. lawmakers getting 4 percent raise"
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/12/29/mass-lawmakers-getting-perc...
per the Boston Globe
If you're going to complain, get the politicians right
The legislature had nothing to do with the parking-meter increase. That was the work of the Boston Transportation Department, which is under the jurisdiction of the mayor.
Well, I never
Paying $130 a week to Saudi princes and Exxon is bad enough but now I'm expected to chip in $3 for a spot to leave my SUV in for an hour, thank god Obama's America only has 24 hours to live
Yup
Because we all know Obama is the devil. I really wish UHub covered national level issues, I can only imagine the debates on here.
If you pay $130 in gas per
If you pay $130 in gas per week you live too far from work, dumbass.
Hmm. Need to get my alarm
Hmm. Need to get my alarm recalibrated. I'll leave this post ^ here for demonstration purposes I guess.
Wow
That's eight weeks of gas for me.
Or a really nice new bike every three months.
Snark
My snark detectors went off when reading this comment, lol.
thank you
I was worried I'd have to include a fake Curt Schilling quote and a few kind words about Nickelback next time
Then don't drive or park
Then don't drive or park elsewhere
Oh dear! Let me pick up my
Oh dear! Let me pick up my phone right away and call 311! Oh heavens!
Not elitist
The Back Bay is a different neighborhood then most people that don't live here really know. Yes, there are the upscale stores on Newbury Street and more then a few wealthy people in the neighborhood (who BTW don't typically park at meters) but there are many of us who are "working class", love the neighborhood and just get by financially like any other neighborhood. When you live here you get to know many people that have lived here for years and are not by any means wealthy. I've lived here 35 years (luckily bought a small place cheap 15 years ago) and like most of the people I know in this area I am not rich and every dollar counts. There are doormen, carpenters, the firewood guy, the delivery guy, a few cops, maintenance people and a slew of others that live here (even a few lawyers) that can't afford this change. First, there is not enough parking for residents in the area even with decreased use of cars (ZipCar, Uber, etc.) and consolidation of buildings into single family units from multi family.
I get home workdays after 6 and almost always have to park at a meter on Newbury Street and pay until 8:00 pm. So I now, as a working class single parent, have added $5-6 a day to my daily expenses so an extra $100+/month-for me a lot. Most of the people that work on the street are retail/restaurant workers making $10-12/hour and many, due to housing costs, commute from outside the city. They can't afford this up charge. And really it's doing nothing for the parking/traffic problem at least in a big way. As someone who knows most of the small, mom and pop retailers on the street it has done more harm then good. A few friends have lost staff since this started (and they expect more to go) as they cannot afford to park here anymore. And yes woo-pee! There have been a few days where it was easier to get parking-but retail sales have gone down.
I could cite many other reasons why this is a bad policy but I'll save the wall of text for another day. But it's more of a tax on the poor, who live and work here, or have businesses here, then the wealthy. I'm all for more signs of protest.
Thanks for the explanation
Yes, for folks such as yourself, that makes more sense. Maybe the answer is something like the tunnel discount East Boston residents get.
The underlying problem that
The underlying problem that you are facing is that the city issues more resident parking permits than there are spaces available. There are multiple ways to solve this, but you should not need to pay and park at a meter as you are doing. If the system was managed properly, you'd be able to find a resident-only space.
So true...
And made unfortunately more of a problem since the increase in meter rates. More people are willing to risk the $40 ticket for parking in residential spots. I can say with certainty that if you have out of state plates you will get nailed. But if you have MA plates it's a crap shoot and a worthy gamble for most. If the scanner trucks aren't cruising good chance if you park short term you get away with it. Good for them, bad for me. I advocate for towing non-residents as it sends a message. I always direct my friends to either short term parking at meters or to the more affordable garages (under the common) for longer term stays.