Some thoughts on the winter overnight parking ban
196 views
Skip to first unread message
Howard Rosenof
Jul 30, 2025, 9:05:48 PMJul 30
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com, newto...@lists.neighborhood.net
If you were living in Newton twenty years ago, can you quickly,
without looking it up, name the winner of that year’s race for
Mayor? Probably not. I’m sure that few voters can, and it’s unlikely
that in 2045 Newtonians would be better able to name the eventual
winner of this year’s race. But we’re facing a vote this November 4,
2025 whose implications will be unavoidably clear twenty years from
now, and far beyond. I’m referring, of course, to the parking
referendum.
Background
Newton has a winter overnight parking ban, which prohibits overnight parking on city streets between December 31 and March 1. I’ve seen reporting that overnight parking restrictions were first put into place in 1936. From time to time there are efforts to rescind the ban and allow overnight parking year-round. Most recently, in October 2023, in response to a petition, the City Council Public Safety and Transportation Committee voted to retain the ban, as then did the full City Council. Following City rules, advocates for rescinding the ban collected enough signatures to place a binding question on this year’s ballot. The rejected City Council proposal would have suspended the parking prohibition for two years as a test. If November’s measure is approved then Newton will probably allow year-round overnight parking on city streets immediately and indefinitely, i.e. until such time as the law might again be changed. (The ballot question is not yet available, as its language is being reviewed by the City’s Law Department.) The ballot measure is city-wide, meaning that voters in Chestnut Hill will help decide parking policy in Nonantum, and vice versa.
The winter overnight parking ban was temporarily lifted during the COVID pandemic, then restored.
Newton’s Neighbors
Newton borders Boston, Brookline, Needham, Waltham, Watertown, Wellesley and Weston. Overnight parking regulations, per their corresponding websites, are shown below. I’ve also added the population density (population per square mile) of each:
Boston No general policy, but many on-street spaces are restricted to residents.
https://needhamma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2440/No-All-Night-Parking-revision-Final?bidId=
Population density 2661
Waltham Overnight parking allowed, but vehicle must be moved every 24 hours
https://www.city.waltham.ma.us/sites/g/files/vyhlif12301/f/uploads/traffic_rules_regulations_12-31-24_0.pdf
Population density 5027
Watertown Overnight parking prohibited in winter
https://www.watertown-ma.gov/638/Parking-in-Watertown
Population density 8804
https://www.westonma.gov/881/Violations-Penalties
Population density 697
Newton’s population density is 4943 persons per square mile.
Commentary and Analysis
While I don’t always agree with City Council decisions, I think they got it right this time. Rescinding the parking ban may seem to some an innocuous gesture of goodwill to those of our neighbors who have more cars than they have private space to put them, and I wish it were just that. But a clear-eyed analysis suggests that this will not be the case. Such an analysis considers the effects of a successful referendum not in a vacuum, but in context.
Let’s first consider the results of the temporary lifting of the ban. That decision by Mayor Fuller appears to have created no serious detriment to the city, which result has been cited by proponents of the ban’s removal as evidence that a permanent lifting will similarly not harm the city. But the temporary rescission didn’t allow enough time for the development of longer-term consequences such as residents buying more cars or developers building projects with inadequate parking. If there’s one message in this post, I want people to think about how long they’ve lived in Newton, how long they’d like to remain here, and what Newton might look like after 20, 30 or 40 years if the parking ban is rescinded. Many of us have been here that long, and likely many newer residents would like to stay that long as well.
Availability of on-street parking with minimal restrictions will be a boon to developers, who if permitted would need to neither devote surface area to parking (leaving it for more apartments) nor incur the expense of underground parking. At present, developers of large projects routinely request, and are routinely granted, relief from nominal parking requirements established in the zoning ordinance, as part of the special-permit process. If the winter parking ban is lifted, and on-street parking allowed year-round, we can reasonably expect developers to push for reductions in parking minimums beyond the discretion that the City Council already has – perhaps even to 0, i.e. no off-street parking required, depending on the composition of the City Council. This will take a while, as the zoning ordinance would have to be changed, which is one reason a two-year trial isn’t long enough to enable us to gauge the likely effects of lifting the ban.
Newton is under a great deal of pressure to increase our population density, to become less a suburb of Boston and more an extension of it. Much of that pressure comes from the state government, through legislation such as the 40B law which allows developers to bypass local zoning, and the more recent MBTA Communities Act, which requires cities and towns served by MBTA rapid transit or commuter rail to zone for multifamily housing in the vicinity of stations. (This is off topic, but Newton is one of two affected communities with both, which gave the City Council a great deal of latitude in deciding which parts of Newton to zone for increased density.) Further, on August 6 of last year, Governor Healey effectively ended single-family zoning across Massachusetts by signing the Affordable Homes Act, which (among other things) allows by-right construction of an auxiliary dwelling unit (ADU) on any lot zoned single-family. Newton had previously permitted ADU’s but with important restrictions that have now been superseded by this law. Relevant to a discussion about parking, Newton zoning cannot require an off-street parking space in association with any ADU within a half mile of a subway or commuter rail station, or bus station (i.e. a lot of Newton’s land area), or more than one such space for an ADU elsewhere.
Some pressure even comes from the federal level, with Jake Auchincloss, former Newton City Councilor and now our Congressional representative, calling for removal of parking minimums Representative Auchincloss is recommending that developers be allowed to build multifamily housing without off-street parking across the city. The subject of removing parking minimums in areas zoned MRT (a new zoning district created in response to the MBTA Communities Act which allows for medium-scale multifamily buildings near transit stations) is under discussion withing the City Council’s Zoning and Planning Committee.
In short, there are going to be more people and more cars in Newton. Residents of some newer buildings will find off-street parking harder to secure, and thus many will take advantage of year-round on-street parking if it’s made available. If we retain the winter parking ban, residents of newer buildings without parking will know that they’ll have to either secure parking elsewhere or not bring cars. If the winter parking ban is eliminated, new residents and their non-accommodated cars will be equally welcomed. Even current residents of some buildings will have an incentive to park on the street, since for many buildings, parking spaces are available but not included in the rent; they are charged for separately.
A game of “municipal chicken” may develop among neighboring cities and towns. A municipality with parking leniency may attract overnight parkers from neighboring communities having more restrictions.
Massachusetts has an electric vehicle mandate, which requires that a specified percentage of passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the state be EV’s (technically, zero-emission vehicles; power-plant emissions don’t count), with their required share increasing through model year 2035, when it reaches 100%. The mandate could change at some point; the state has already deferred enforcement until model year 2028. But if the mandate remains on the books (or even if it doesn’t), EV owners may want to charge their vehicles while parked on the street, with cables stretched across sidewalks. Cambridge already issues permits for doing so, but admits that it’s not a long-term fix, and as a practical matter requires use of a parking space directly in front of one’s house, from which other drivers are not restricted. Cables have to be properly covered but still could be hard on young cyclists. A pilot project in Melrose made use of chargers mounted high on utility poles. The state has allocated money for additional installations, but that’s far from the dense network of chargers that we’d need. It’s not clear whether the chargers in Melrose were mounted to existing concrete poles, or new poles were needed to take the additional weight. It’s also not clear whether in residential areas trees would have to be pruned to make room. Look carefully at the video of the Melrose installation and you’ll see signs on the poles that say “no overnight parking”.
In Newton we’re rightly proud of the unique identities and character of each of our villages. Why, then, should we apply a one-size-fits-all approach to the lifting of the parking ban? Voting should be at least as granular as our 8 wards, even better if by precinct (four per ward).
Mitigation
Public transportation is the primary alternative to use of private automobiles, and many Newtonians already use it. There is no guarantee that public transport will improve with increasing population density and in fact in some ways service has deteriorated – the T used to offer a “one-seat ride” by bus to downtown Boston from West Newton and Newtonville among other places, but a few years ago that ended and now it’s necessary to change buses in Newton Corner. The old NewMo service offered low-cost transportation between any residential address in Newton and a T stop, but that has ended and its replacement service imposes more restrictions. We’ve been promised for years that the three Commuter Rail stations will be rebuilt for ADA compliance (elevators and high platforms) but there’s no telling when construction will start for the first station, let alone be completed for all three.
Not all workplaces are readily accessible by public transportation from Newton. Further, use of public transportation to get to and from work doesn’t necessarily mean not needing or having a car. People sometimes change jobs, and a car-free lifestyle may not last through a job change.
Parking restrictions already abound in Newton. (My favorite are the streets in Chestnut Hill that are closed for parking only about 7 days each year, when there’s a BC home football game. Cars in violation have been towed.) New mitigations, e,g, for snow clearing, trash collection, emergency vehicles and general traffic flow, won't be easy if the parking ban is lifted with immediate effect. As soon as it’s lifted, people will start making use of the newly-available on-street parking, creating for each such possible mitigation a constituency in opposition to it. In other words, people are unlikely to support removing their favorite parking spots.
With some time to plan before implementation, we might allow on-street overnight winter parking only for residents, and with authorization for visiting non-residents, including caretakers. Any winter overnight parking permits should be valid for a specified time and require renewal, and the number of such permits should be limited. I’m told that the police don’t want to take the time to check stickers, especially when that means cleaning off the snow from a windshield. One way around this could be through use of EZ-Pass. Handheld EZ-Pass readers exist. The police could use these to interrogate each transponder. A mobile connection to a central data base could then identify vehicles not authorized to be on the street.
It’s important to understand that arguments about parking and arguments about population growth are related, and both need to happen, but they are not the same. As shown above, Brookline maintains a considerably higher population density, almost twice Newton’s, while banning overnight on-street parking year-round. Brookline’s policy may not have been the developers’ first choice, but developers continue to operate there and presumably make money.
In conclusion…
References
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s)
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/accessory-dwelling-units
Cong. Auchincloss Statement on zoning:
“Zone for multi-family development as the default. Require only one staircase for buildings up to six stories. End parking minimums.” (emphasis in original)
E-mail “Simple but not Easy #9” June 24, 2025
Newton Zoning Ordinance https://www.newtonma.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/29823/638717834291930000
Massachusetts EV Requirements
https://www.mass.gov/doc/enforcement-discretion-for-advanced-clean-cars-ii-requirements-may-23-2025/download
Cambridge charging cable licensing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=end1rCb2n_Q
Melrose Pilot Project
https://www.voltrek.com/blog/2021/4/14/voltrek-chosen-for-national-grids-innovative-pilot-program-in-melrose-ma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT92e6Ja334
Population density of Massachusetts cities and towns
https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/massachusetts/[city name]
Affordable Homes Act
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/the-affordable-homes-act-smart-housing-livable-communities
Federal legislation pertaining to housing (2023)
https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/housed_Key-Legislation.pdf
Background
Newton has a winter overnight parking ban, which prohibits overnight parking on city streets between December 31 and March 1. I’ve seen reporting that overnight parking restrictions were first put into place in 1936. From time to time there are efforts to rescind the ban and allow overnight parking year-round. Most recently, in October 2023, in response to a petition, the City Council Public Safety and Transportation Committee voted to retain the ban, as then did the full City Council. Following City rules, advocates for rescinding the ban collected enough signatures to place a binding question on this year’s ballot. The rejected City Council proposal would have suspended the parking prohibition for two years as a test. If November’s measure is approved then Newton will probably allow year-round overnight parking on city streets immediately and indefinitely, i.e. until such time as the law might again be changed. (The ballot question is not yet available, as its language is being reviewed by the City’s Law Department.) The ballot measure is city-wide, meaning that voters in Chestnut Hill will help decide parking policy in Nonantum, and vice versa.
The winter overnight parking ban was temporarily lifted during the COVID pandemic, then restored.
Newton’s Neighbors
Newton borders Boston, Brookline, Needham, Waltham, Watertown, Wellesley and Weston. Overnight parking regulations, per their corresponding websites, are shown below. I’ve also added the population density (population per square mile) of each:
Boston No general policy, but many on-street spaces are restricted to residents.
More permits issued than there are spaces requiring permits
https://www.boston.gov/departments/parking-clerk/resident-parking-permits
https://www.cityofboston.gov/transportation/accessboston/pdfs/parking_resident.pdf
Population density 13227
Brookline Overnight parking prohibited year-round
https://www.brooklinema.gov/2431/Parking
Population density 9422
https://needhamma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2440/No-All-Night-Parking-revision-Final?bidId=
Population density 2661
Waltham Overnight parking allowed, but vehicle must be moved every 24 hours
https://www.city.waltham.ma.us/sites/g/files/vyhlif12301/f/uploads/traffic_rules_regulations_12-31-24_0.pdf
Population density 5027
Watertown Overnight parking prohibited in winter
https://www.watertown-ma.gov/638/Parking-in-Watertown
Population density 8804
Wellesley Overnight parking prohibited year-round
https://www.wellesleyma.gov/faq.aspx?TID=26
Population density 3027
https://www.westonma.gov/881/Violations-Penalties
Population density 697
Newton’s population density is 4943 persons per square mile.
Commentary and Analysis
While I don’t always agree with City Council decisions, I think they got it right this time. Rescinding the parking ban may seem to some an innocuous gesture of goodwill to those of our neighbors who have more cars than they have private space to put them, and I wish it were just that. But a clear-eyed analysis suggests that this will not be the case. Such an analysis considers the effects of a successful referendum not in a vacuum, but in context.
Let’s first consider the results of the temporary lifting of the ban. That decision by Mayor Fuller appears to have created no serious detriment to the city, which result has been cited by proponents of the ban’s removal as evidence that a permanent lifting will similarly not harm the city. But the temporary rescission didn’t allow enough time for the development of longer-term consequences such as residents buying more cars or developers building projects with inadequate parking. If there’s one message in this post, I want people to think about how long they’ve lived in Newton, how long they’d like to remain here, and what Newton might look like after 20, 30 or 40 years if the parking ban is rescinded. Many of us have been here that long, and likely many newer residents would like to stay that long as well.
Availability of on-street parking with minimal restrictions will be a boon to developers, who if permitted would need to neither devote surface area to parking (leaving it for more apartments) nor incur the expense of underground parking. At present, developers of large projects routinely request, and are routinely granted, relief from nominal parking requirements established in the zoning ordinance, as part of the special-permit process. If the winter parking ban is lifted, and on-street parking allowed year-round, we can reasonably expect developers to push for reductions in parking minimums beyond the discretion that the City Council already has – perhaps even to 0, i.e. no off-street parking required, depending on the composition of the City Council. This will take a while, as the zoning ordinance would have to be changed, which is one reason a two-year trial isn’t long enough to enable us to gauge the likely effects of lifting the ban.
Newton is under a great deal of pressure to increase our population density, to become less a suburb of Boston and more an extension of it. Much of that pressure comes from the state government, through legislation such as the 40B law which allows developers to bypass local zoning, and the more recent MBTA Communities Act, which requires cities and towns served by MBTA rapid transit or commuter rail to zone for multifamily housing in the vicinity of stations. (This is off topic, but Newton is one of two affected communities with both, which gave the City Council a great deal of latitude in deciding which parts of Newton to zone for increased density.) Further, on August 6 of last year, Governor Healey effectively ended single-family zoning across Massachusetts by signing the Affordable Homes Act, which (among other things) allows by-right construction of an auxiliary dwelling unit (ADU) on any lot zoned single-family. Newton had previously permitted ADU’s but with important restrictions that have now been superseded by this law. Relevant to a discussion about parking, Newton zoning cannot require an off-street parking space in association with any ADU within a half mile of a subway or commuter rail station, or bus station (i.e. a lot of Newton’s land area), or more than one such space for an ADU elsewhere.
Some pressure even comes from the federal level, with Jake Auchincloss, former Newton City Councilor and now our Congressional representative, calling for removal of parking minimums Representative Auchincloss is recommending that developers be allowed to build multifamily housing without off-street parking across the city. The subject of removing parking minimums in areas zoned MRT (a new zoning district created in response to the MBTA Communities Act which allows for medium-scale multifamily buildings near transit stations) is under discussion withing the City Council’s Zoning and Planning Committee.
In short, there are going to be more people and more cars in Newton. Residents of some newer buildings will find off-street parking harder to secure, and thus many will take advantage of year-round on-street parking if it’s made available. If we retain the winter parking ban, residents of newer buildings without parking will know that they’ll have to either secure parking elsewhere or not bring cars. If the winter parking ban is eliminated, new residents and their non-accommodated cars will be equally welcomed. Even current residents of some buildings will have an incentive to park on the street, since for many buildings, parking spaces are available but not included in the rent; they are charged for separately.
A game of “municipal chicken” may develop among neighboring cities and towns. A municipality with parking leniency may attract overnight parkers from neighboring communities having more restrictions.
Massachusetts has an electric vehicle mandate, which requires that a specified percentage of passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the state be EV’s (technically, zero-emission vehicles; power-plant emissions don’t count), with their required share increasing through model year 2035, when it reaches 100%. The mandate could change at some point; the state has already deferred enforcement until model year 2028. But if the mandate remains on the books (or even if it doesn’t), EV owners may want to charge their vehicles while parked on the street, with cables stretched across sidewalks. Cambridge already issues permits for doing so, but admits that it’s not a long-term fix, and as a practical matter requires use of a parking space directly in front of one’s house, from which other drivers are not restricted. Cables have to be properly covered but still could be hard on young cyclists. A pilot project in Melrose made use of chargers mounted high on utility poles. The state has allocated money for additional installations, but that’s far from the dense network of chargers that we’d need. It’s not clear whether the chargers in Melrose were mounted to existing concrete poles, or new poles were needed to take the additional weight. It’s also not clear whether in residential areas trees would have to be pruned to make room. Look carefully at the video of the Melrose installation and you’ll see signs on the poles that say “no overnight parking”.
In Newton we’re rightly proud of the unique identities and character of each of our villages. Why, then, should we apply a one-size-fits-all approach to the lifting of the parking ban? Voting should be at least as granular as our 8 wards, even better if by precinct (four per ward).
Mitigation
Public transportation is the primary alternative to use of private automobiles, and many Newtonians already use it. There is no guarantee that public transport will improve with increasing population density and in fact in some ways service has deteriorated – the T used to offer a “one-seat ride” by bus to downtown Boston from West Newton and Newtonville among other places, but a few years ago that ended and now it’s necessary to change buses in Newton Corner. The old NewMo service offered low-cost transportation between any residential address in Newton and a T stop, but that has ended and its replacement service imposes more restrictions. We’ve been promised for years that the three Commuter Rail stations will be rebuilt for ADA compliance (elevators and high platforms) but there’s no telling when construction will start for the first station, let alone be completed for all three.
Not all workplaces are readily accessible by public transportation from Newton. Further, use of public transportation to get to and from work doesn’t necessarily mean not needing or having a car. People sometimes change jobs, and a car-free lifestyle may not last through a job change.
Parking restrictions already abound in Newton. (My favorite are the streets in Chestnut Hill that are closed for parking only about 7 days each year, when there’s a BC home football game. Cars in violation have been towed.) New mitigations, e,g, for snow clearing, trash collection, emergency vehicles and general traffic flow, won't be easy if the parking ban is lifted with immediate effect. As soon as it’s lifted, people will start making use of the newly-available on-street parking, creating for each such possible mitigation a constituency in opposition to it. In other words, people are unlikely to support removing their favorite parking spots.
With some time to plan before implementation, we might allow on-street overnight winter parking only for residents, and with authorization for visiting non-residents, including caretakers. Any winter overnight parking permits should be valid for a specified time and require renewal, and the number of such permits should be limited. I’m told that the police don’t want to take the time to check stickers, especially when that means cleaning off the snow from a windshield. One way around this could be through use of EZ-Pass. Handheld EZ-Pass readers exist. The police could use these to interrogate each transponder. A mobile connection to a central data base could then identify vehicles not authorized to be on the street.
It’s important to understand that arguments about parking and arguments about population growth are related, and both need to happen, but they are not the same. As shown above, Brookline maintains a considerably higher population density, almost twice Newton’s, while banning overnight on-street parking year-round. Brookline’s policy may not have been the developers’ first choice, but developers continue to operate there and presumably make money.
In conclusion…
In common with other Massachusetts cities and towns, Newton’s ability to chart its own course is diminishing as state and federal laws and policies take local control away from local leaders and voters. One of the best remaining tools is control of on-street parking, and we’re being asked now to vote that away. If we do so, we can expect that detrimental change will be slow, especially at first, but unstoppable and irreversible.
References
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s)
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/accessory-dwelling-units
Cong. Auchincloss Statement on zoning:
“Zone for multi-family development as the default. Require only one staircase for buildings up to six stories. End parking minimums.” (emphasis in original)
E-mail “Simple but not Easy #9” June 24, 2025
Newton Zoning Ordinance https://www.newtonma.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/29823/638717834291930000
Massachusetts EV Requirements
https://www.mass.gov/doc/enforcement-discretion-for-advanced-clean-cars-ii-requirements-may-23-2025/download
Cambridge charging cable licensing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=end1rCb2n_Q
Melrose Pilot Project
https://www.voltrek.com/blog/2021/4/14/voltrek-chosen-for-national-grids-innovative-pilot-program-in-melrose-ma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT92e6Ja334
Population density of Massachusetts cities and towns
https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/massachusetts/[city name]
Affordable Homes Act
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/the-affordable-homes-act-smart-housing-livable-communities
Federal legislation pertaining to housing (2023)
https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/housed_Key-Legislation.pdf
Mary Lewis
Jul 30, 2025, 10:31:44 PMJul 30
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
Howard, as always very informative and fact filled.
Thank you for this thoughtful essay.
--
If you'd like to be added to this discussion group, visit this group at the link below, or simply send email to gswi...@alum.mit.edu with your name and affiliation with West Newton.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "West Newton Community" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to westnewtonneighbo...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/westnewtonneighborhood/b640c8ee-aa4d-42d3-90f4-29002c433fcf%40comcast.net.
Lynne LeBlanc
Jul 31, 2025, 7:52:17 PMJul 31
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
A fire hose of information in the last post - and all worth noting.
Still, the haves and the have-nots, the north and south divide in Newton, the push for more housing all the while claiming the T will solve all problems (without actually having a reasonable T), and the bias to "walk-able" without the infrastructure to accommodate "walkable," for all of our residents leads to a much simpler and more visceral solution: allow on-street parking year-round.
Lynne
On Wed, Jul 30, 2025 at 9:05 PM 'Howard Rosenof' via West Newton Community <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
--
If you'd like to be added to this discussion group, visit this group at the link below, or simply send email to gswi...@alum.mit.edu with your name and affiliation with West Newton.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "West Newton Community" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to westnewtonneighbo...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/westnewtonneighborhood/b640c8ee-aa4d-42d3-90f4-29002c433fcf%40comcast.net.
Julia Anne Malakie
Jul 31, 2025, 11:34:29 PMJul 31
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com, newto...@lists.neighborhood.net
Great writeup by Howard!
My list of reasons not to overturn the winter overnight parking ban just keeps getting longer, so I better not start on that at 11:30 at night. But here's some additional history that I got from then-city clerk David Olson in October 2018. Of note, until 1985, it was a year-round overnight parking ban, like Brookline. (subsequently, since 2018, the 'winter' dates have been shortened.)
Regards
Julila Malakie
From David Olson, 10/24/18:
-- An overnight Parking Ban has been in place since at least 1948. The text as it appeared in the 1953-2017
Ordinances is below.
-- In 1985 the Overnight Parking ban was amended to add an exception for May 1 to October 31 from the
ban.
-- In 2007 the wording of the ban was adjusted to shorten the ban and to state the ban not as an exception
but as a fact between November 15 and April 15:
“(b) Other vehicles: From November 15th through April 15th, it shall be unlawful for any vehicle, other than one
acting in an emergency, to be parked on any street, way, highway, road, parkway or private way dedicated or
open to the use of the public for a period of time longer than one hour between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00
a.m.”
History
1953
Sec. 11.53. All night parking.
It shall be unlawful for the driver of any vehicle, other than one acting in an emergency, to park
such vehicle on any street, way, highway, road, parkway or private way dedicated or open to' the
use of the public for a period of time longer than one hour between the hours of 2:00 A.M. and
6:00 A.M. (6-1-48, Art. V sec. 10.)
1965
Sec. 12-68.
All night parking.
It shall be unlawful for the driver of any vehicle, other than one acting in an emergency, to park
such vehicle on any street, way, highway, road, parkway or private way dedicated or open to' the
use of the public for a period of time longer than one hour between the hours of 2:00 A.M. and
6:00 A.M. (R. O. 1952, § 11.53.)
1973
Sec. 13-144.
All-night parking.
It shall be unlawful for the driver of any vehicle, other than one acting in an emergency, to park
such vehicle on any street, way, highway, road, parkway or private way dedicated or open to the
use of the public for a period of time longer than one hour between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and
6:00 a.m. (Rev. Ords. 1965, § 12-68)
2017
Sec. 19‑174.
Parking of commercial vehicles and trailers.
(b) Other vehicles: From November 15
th
through April 15
th
, it shall be unlawful for any vehicle,
other than one acting in an emergency, to be parked on any street, way, highway, road, parkway or
private way dedicated or open to the use of the public for a period of time longer than one hour
between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. (Rev. Ords. 1973, § 13‑144; Ord. No. S‑87, 2‑4‑85;
Ord. No. T-186, 11-18-91; Ord. No. Y-3, 3-19-07; Ord. No. Z-14, 11-5-07)
Peter F. Harrington, Esq.
Aug 5, 2025, 3:29:10 PMAug 5
to 'Howard Rosenof' via West Newton Community
Howard, well said.
I would add that the City Council, in its desire to urbanize Newton has allowed waivers to our parking requirements and those waivers have created the problem.
Of course, the waivers were justified by claims of unacceptable costs to the Developers; claims that the opponents could not discuss at Public Hearings and Councilors could not consider. None the less, these claims seemed to be the determining factor in providing the waivers.
The reuse of public parking lots in West Newton and Newtonville were also contributing factors.
Should we expect armed sentry's to keep the public lot behind the court house private?
Peter F. Harrington
60+ years business in
West Newton, MA 02465
--
didi_614
Aug 5, 2025, 3:33:52 PMAug 5
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
He was Mayor for 22 years and he was a Republican.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/westnewtonneighborhood/001701dc04ac%24c1ccc220%2445664660%24%40bbmarketingplus.com.
Anne Goldbach
Aug 5, 2025, 3:52:27 PMAug 5
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com, newto...@lists.neighborhood.net, westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com, newton...@googlegroups.com
Hello Howard,
Thank you for your very detailed analysis. I believe we should keep the parking ban in Newtonville and West Newton, which will be greatly impacted by the developments on Crafts Street and Washington Street. I live in Newtonville very close to the West Newton Hill, so I cannot offer an opinion about the ban for other villages.
I also appreciate your detailed information about what other cities and towns do about parking, as well as your discussion about what the future holds for building developments, including developer pressure for on street parking, as well as pressure to build, build, and build from state and and federal government levels.
I expect most people who have chosen to live in Newton prefer not to become an extension of Boston.
Best,
Anne
Anne Goldbach
On Jul 30, 2025, at 9:05 PM, 'Howard Rosenof' via West Newton Community <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
If you were living in Newton twenty years ago, can you quickly, without looking it up, name the winner of that year’s race for Mayor? Probably not. I’m sure that few voters can, and it’s unlikely that in 2045 Newtonians would be better able to name the eventual winner of this year’s race. But we’re facing a vote this November 4, 2025 whose implications will be unavoidably clear twenty years from now, and far beyond. I’m referring, of course, to the parking referendum.
References
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s)
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/accessory-dwelling-units
Cong. Auchincloss Statement on zoning:
“Zone for multi-family development as the default. Require only one staircase for buildings up to six stories. End parking minimums.” (emphasis in original)
E-mail “Simple but not Easy #9” June 24, 2025
Newton Zoning Ordinance https://www.newtonma.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/29823/638717834291930000
Massachusetts EV Requirements
https://www.mass.gov/doc/enforcement-discretion-for-advanced-clean-cars-ii-requirements-may-23-2025/download
Cambridge charging cable licensing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=end1rCb2n_Q
Melrose Pilot Project
https://www.voltrek.com/blog/2021/4/14/voltrek-chosen-for-national-grids-innovative-pilot-program-in-melrose-ma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT92e6Ja334
Population density of Massachusetts cities and towns
https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/massachusetts/[city name]
Affordable Homes Act
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/the-affordable-homes-act-smart-housing-livable-communities
Federal legislation pertaining to housing (2023)
https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/housed_Key-Legislation.pdf
--
Nancy Finn
Aug 5, 2025, 5:54:03 PMAug 5
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
Hi overnight parking should stay in place in the winter.
We aren’t Cambridge or Brookline.
Nancy Finn
Lower Falls
Sent from my iPhone
On Aug 5, 2025, at 3:29 PM, 'Peter F. Harrington, Esq.' via West Newton Community <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
<AuIKN5BmNxvfhmSk.png>
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/westnewtonneighborhood/251925921.285684.1753977401690%40mail.yahoo.com.
<AuIKN5BmNxvfhmSk.png>
Howard Rosenof
Aug 5, 2025, 6:14:04 PMAug 5
to 'Peter F. Harrington, Esq.' via West Newton Community
Thanks, Peter
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/westnewtonneighborhood/251925921.285684.1753977401690%40mail.yahoo.com.
Lynne LeBlanc
Aug 5, 2025, 9:10:06 PMAug 5
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
A singular thought about Boston and Brookline:
Resident overnight parking with a permit = overnight parking.
Except for Needham, all of the cities listed below provide overnight parking for residents. The exception is snow emergencies. Newton could offer permits, but it seems easier and more fair to allow on-street parking except during snow emergencies. Below is a picture of the Brookline process; it is similar to Boston's.
Boston No general policy, but many on-street spaces are restricted to residents. WITH A PERMIT
More permits issued than there are spaces requiring permits
https://www.boston.gov/departments/parking-clerk/resident-parking-permits
https://www.cityofboston.gov/transportation/accessboston/pdfs/parking_resident.pdf
Population density 13227
Brookline Overnight parking prohibited year-round EXCEPT FOR RESIDENTS WITH A PERMIT
https://www.brooklinema.gov/2431/Parking
Population density 9422
Needham Overnight parking prohibited year-round
https://needhamma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2440/No-All-Night-Parking-revision-Final?bidId=
Population density 2661
Waltham Overnight parking allowed, but vehicle must be moved every 24 hours
https://www.city.waltham.ma.us/sites/g/files/vyhlif12301/f/uploads/traffic_rules_regulations_12-31-24_0.pdf
Population density 5027
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/westnewtonneighborhood/SJ0P220MB0526B2669BB7537CF7CFE402C122A%40SJ0P220MB0526.NAMP220.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM.
Stephanie MANDELL
Aug 6, 2025, 2:09:33 PMAug 6
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com, westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
It was David Cohen 20 years ago. (Mayor Mann served for 24 years and died while in office- Tom concannon after him- Teddy was the longest serving mayor in newton- was a republican but was socially liberal, Jewish, and tried to be work with all- party affiliation
itself wasn’t the priority).
Agree that the parking ban ballot measure is not a good idea… unless you’re a developer in particular.
Much better ways to address the issue, including waivers for those households that may need it for various reasons….
Sent from my iPhone
On Aug 5, 2025, at 3:34 PM, 'didi_614' via West Newton Community <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
<image001.png>
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/westnewtonneighborhood/470359145.2260845.1754422421505%40mail.yahoo.com.
Michael Halle
Aug 7, 2025, 12:49:40 PMAug 7
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
Stephanie Mandela wrote: "Agree that the parking ban ballot measure is not a good idea… unless you’re a developer in particular. Much better ways to address the issue, including waivers for those households that may need it for various reasons….”
I am very much close to the middle with respect to the overnight parking ban. I can understand and respect the concerns that Howard and others have mentioned. I can also add an additional one, that more year round parking will make it more difficult at some locations to complete the sidewalk network and add additional bike lanes (not that that’s an easy process right now).
But I have always thought that for all the things the winter parking ban is supposed to do, it’s kind of a weird mechanism to use to address them, and that we could come up with more appropriate mechanisms that could work better, fairer, and year round if we put our minds to it.
I mean:
* It’s a winter parking ban, but does it actually have much if anything to do with winter or snow clearing? The city has said no in the past.
* Is it really necessary to have a ban that tickets overnight guests over the winter holidays?
* If it’s not about winter, why don’t we have some policy that holds year round?
* If anyone is so worried about “more cars in Newton”, what about the cars people park in their own driveways? Do they count? Or why do we still *require* two cars per unit in zoning? I can’t reconcile these points.
* If people rent a new apartment or buy a new condo, do they really then try to save money by forgoing parking and park on the street? The *first* thing I’d want is reserved parking.
* If the winter parking ban didn’t exist, would we create it today as it is? Or would we do something different, better?
There are a variety of different approaches the city could use, perhaps like resident parking tied to license plates with guest parking or some sort of exception mechanism. For new developments with limited parking, a clause could be added to the special permit that said that those residents are not entitled to on-street parking permits.
Those alternatives are possible – not 100% straightforward by any means, but possible.
City Council had the opportunity to explore alternatives that would have provided relief for the existing residents that don’t have off-street parking. It could have put the two year moratorium on enforcement to buy time and research the issue. Or it could have used the last two years to actively work on those alternatives, to show good faith. to show they were at least they were listening.
But City Council didn’t do anything that I know of to mitigate the downsides of the winter parking ban or come up with an alternative.
And those people who have been paying tickets all these years? And their friends, and neighbors, and other people for whom the winter parking ban doesn’t make any sense?
Those people get a vote, same as everyone else. And they have a pretty good chance of getting their ballot measure passed. They aren’t developers (though developers certainly have an interest in the outcome here, as do landlords).
They are neighbors, and they may just vote successfully in their own interest.
—Mike
I am very much close to the middle with respect to the overnight parking ban. I can understand and respect the concerns that Howard and others have mentioned. I can also add an additional one, that more year round parking will make it more difficult at some locations to complete the sidewalk network and add additional bike lanes (not that that’s an easy process right now).
But I have always thought that for all the things the winter parking ban is supposed to do, it’s kind of a weird mechanism to use to address them, and that we could come up with more appropriate mechanisms that could work better, fairer, and year round if we put our minds to it.
I mean:
* It’s a winter parking ban, but does it actually have much if anything to do with winter or snow clearing? The city has said no in the past.
* Is it really necessary to have a ban that tickets overnight guests over the winter holidays?
* If it’s not about winter, why don’t we have some policy that holds year round?
* If anyone is so worried about “more cars in Newton”, what about the cars people park in their own driveways? Do they count? Or why do we still *require* two cars per unit in zoning? I can’t reconcile these points.
* If people rent a new apartment or buy a new condo, do they really then try to save money by forgoing parking and park on the street? The *first* thing I’d want is reserved parking.
* If the winter parking ban didn’t exist, would we create it today as it is? Or would we do something different, better?
There are a variety of different approaches the city could use, perhaps like resident parking tied to license plates with guest parking or some sort of exception mechanism. For new developments with limited parking, a clause could be added to the special permit that said that those residents are not entitled to on-street parking permits.
Those alternatives are possible – not 100% straightforward by any means, but possible.
City Council had the opportunity to explore alternatives that would have provided relief for the existing residents that don’t have off-street parking. It could have put the two year moratorium on enforcement to buy time and research the issue. Or it could have used the last two years to actively work on those alternatives, to show good faith. to show they were at least they were listening.
But City Council didn’t do anything that I know of to mitigate the downsides of the winter parking ban or come up with an alternative.
And those people who have been paying tickets all these years? And their friends, and neighbors, and other people for whom the winter parking ban doesn’t make any sense?
Those people get a vote, same as everyone else. And they have a pretty good chance of getting their ballot measure passed. They aren’t developers (though developers certainly have an interest in the outcome here, as do landlords).
They are neighbors, and they may just vote successfully in their own interest.
—Mike
Michael Halle
Aug 7, 2025, 10:46:14 PMAug 7
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
My apologies to Stephanie Mandell for inadvertently misspelling her name when quoting her comment.
-Mike
From: westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Michael Halle <m...@halle.us>
Sent: Thursday, August 7, 2025 12:49:44 PM
To: westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [WNewton] Some thoughts on the winter overnight parking ban
Sent: Thursday, August 7, 2025 12:49:44 PM
To: westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [WNewton] Some thoughts on the winter overnight parking ban
--
If you'd like to be added to this discussion group, visit this group at the link below, or simply send email to gswi...@alum.mit.edu with your name and affiliation with West Newton.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "West Newton Community" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to westnewtonneighbo...@googlegroups.com.
If you'd like to be added to this discussion group, visit this group at the link below, or simply send email to gswi...@alum.mit.edu with your name and affiliation with West Newton.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "West Newton Community" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to westnewtonneighbo...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/westnewtonneighborhood/C0741115-BBDB-46F7-A021-3F3A660069A1%40halle.us.
Michael Halle
Aug 8, 2025, 4:22:09 PMAug 8
to West Newton Community
Peter Klapes, the co-founder of the Campaign to Repeal the Overnight Parking Ban, is on the list and asked if I could forward along his thoughts based on the comments here:
Hello West Newton,
Thank you, Howard, for spurring this fascinating discussion. As a lifelong Newton resident and as the co-founder and co-director of the Campaign to Repeal the Overnight Parking Ban, I wanted to take a quick moment to weigh in.
Let me start by telling you all some of the reasons that I was inspired to start this work a few years back. I live in an intergenerational household in a part of Newton that is not “accessible” at all without a car—the closest gallon of milk is almost two miles away—and driveway space is short. I also have had a neighbor whose debilitating stroke a few years ago left him needing an overnight nurse for several years, and that overnight nurse would get several tickets a winter.
You all might be surprised to hear that I share many of the concerns voiced. There are times and places where it makes sense to restrict parking in some way. But in those places where it does make sense to restrict parking in some way, it likely does not make sense to restrict parking for only four hours a night for four months of the year. Most of those areas deserve so much more than that. To that end, our campaign is not anti-parking-regulation. We are committed to better parking regulation. But at the moment, we have a flimsy, nonsensical parking regulation on the books that—as many of our thousands of signatories, from all 32 Newton precincts, will agree—causes more harm to Newton residents than good.
I speak for Jeremy Freudberg, co-founder and co-director our Campaign, when I say that we both intend to live in Newton for many years to come, and I can assure you all that we would not be advocating for something that we feel would be socalamitous. In fact, we are committed to addressing any concerns that may arise, either now or after the election, relating tothe repeal of the winter overnight parking ban. We have already been in conversation with residents on narrow streets who might need something more than the winter overnight parking ban when it is repealed.
Jeremy and I are also committed to speaking with as many residents as possible. We will be holding office hours as folks return from summer vacations, but I urge any and all to reach out to us to discuss the Parking Ban. We can be reached here or at 617-644-6996 or via our website, repealparkingban.org. Though we both are Law Students, we have become sort-of subject matter experts in parking and traffic in Newton and are eager to chat about the issue with anyone who will listen!
Thanks!
Peter Klapes
Peter....@gmail.com
Hello West Newton,
Thank you, Howard, for spurring this fascinating discussion. As a lifelong Newton resident and as the co-founder and co-director of the Campaign to Repeal the Overnight Parking Ban, I wanted to take a quick moment to weigh in.
Let me start by telling you all some of the reasons that I was inspired to start this work a few years back. I live in an intergenerational household in a part of Newton that is not “accessible” at all without a car—the closest gallon of milk is almost two miles away—and driveway space is short. I also have had a neighbor whose debilitating stroke a few years ago left him needing an overnight nurse for several years, and that overnight nurse would get several tickets a winter.
You all might be surprised to hear that I share many of the concerns voiced. There are times and places where it makes sense to restrict parking in some way. But in those places where it does make sense to restrict parking in some way, it likely does not make sense to restrict parking for only four hours a night for four months of the year. Most of those areas deserve so much more than that. To that end, our campaign is not anti-parking-regulation. We are committed to better parking regulation. But at the moment, we have a flimsy, nonsensical parking regulation on the books that—as many of our thousands of signatories, from all 32 Newton precincts, will agree—causes more harm to Newton residents than good.
I speak for Jeremy Freudberg, co-founder and co-director our Campaign, when I say that we both intend to live in Newton for many years to come, and I can assure you all that we would not be advocating for something that we feel would be socalamitous. In fact, we are committed to addressing any concerns that may arise, either now or after the election, relating tothe repeal of the winter overnight parking ban. We have already been in conversation with residents on narrow streets who might need something more than the winter overnight parking ban when it is repealed.
Jeremy and I are also committed to speaking with as many residents as possible. We will be holding office hours as folks return from summer vacations, but I urge any and all to reach out to us to discuss the Parking Ban. We can be reached here or at 617-644-6996 or via our website, repealparkingban.org. Though we both are Law Students, we have become sort-of subject matter experts in parking and traffic in Newton and are eager to chat about the issue with anyone who will listen!
Thanks!
Peter Klapes
Peter....@gmail.com
Francis Yerardi
Aug 8, 2025, 4:37:13 PMAug 8
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com, Community West Newton
While I appreciate Peter’s comments
The “we need a better plan, but let’s get rid of the only plan we havre before developing a new one” simply doesn’t make sense.
If they were truly committed to solving the parking problems that Newton has, they would’ve put forth a comprehensive plan before trying to remove the only plan that the city has.
Additionally, every city and town around us bars, overnight parking with the exception of Cambridge , Somerville and Boston and I don’t think anybody in Newton wants to become like them
We all want a better parking solution, but let’s develop that plan first before getting rid of the only plan we have in place
Fran Yerardi
West Newton
Sent from my iPhone
> On Aug 8, 2025, at 4:22 PM, Michael Halle <m...@halle.us> wrote:
>
> Peter Klapes, the co-founder of the Campaign to Repeal the Overnight Parking Ban, is on the list and asked if I could forward along his thoughts based on the comments here:
The “we need a better plan, but let’s get rid of the only plan we havre before developing a new one” simply doesn’t make sense.
If they were truly committed to solving the parking problems that Newton has, they would’ve put forth a comprehensive plan before trying to remove the only plan that the city has.
Additionally, every city and town around us bars, overnight parking with the exception of Cambridge , Somerville and Boston and I don’t think anybody in Newton wants to become like them
We all want a better parking solution, but let’s develop that plan first before getting rid of the only plan we have in place
Fran Yerardi
West Newton
Sent from my iPhone
> On Aug 8, 2025, at 4:22 PM, Michael Halle <m...@halle.us> wrote:
>
> Peter Klapes, the co-founder of the Campaign to Repeal the Overnight Parking Ban, is on the list and asked if I could forward along his thoughts based on the comments here:
> --
> If you'd like to be added to this discussion group, visit this group at the link below, or simply send email to gswi...@alum.mit.edu with your name and affiliation with West Newton.
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "West Newton Community" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to westnewtonneighbo...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/westnewtonneighborhood/1897D594-F7FC-4806-88B8-E6A129844912%40halle.us.
> If you'd like to be added to this discussion group, visit this group at the link below, or simply send email to gswi...@alum.mit.edu with your name and affiliation with West Newton.
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "West Newton Community" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to westnewtonneighbo...@googlegroups.com.
Lynne LeBlanc
Aug 8, 2025, 6:32:59 PMAug 8
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
Peter brings up good reasons the parking ban is pointless.
The parking ban makes no sense as it only applies in the winter. If we can park on the street in the non-snow months, why, oh, why is what works in the non-snow months not acceptable for the whole year?
Lynne
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/westnewtonneighborhood/4D8D9A57-D2AA-4DF7-8203-4C7523BD7358%40icloud.com.
Stephanie MANDELL
Aug 8, 2025, 6:34:35 PMAug 8
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
Thanks, Michael and Peter.
Peter - if you're on the listserve, maybe you can respond directly through the listserve and not through Michael?
Peter - when you say you are committed to better parking regulations, what, exactly, are you proposing other than repealing the overnight parking ban?
I, also am a lifelong resident, and live in an intergenerational house (mother is 91 - and a former Mayor's campaign manager, kids are in NPS)... near a lot of proposed big development.
We can all agree that we are where we are... but I would really like to understand what you mean by your commitment to better parking regulations and how you go about showing that commitment if your repeal effort is successful.
Thank you,
Stephanie
From: westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Michael Halle <m...@halle.us>
Sent: Friday, August 8, 2025 4:21 PM
To: West Newton Community <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [WNewton] Some thoughts on the winter overnight parking ban
To: West Newton Community <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [WNewton] Some thoughts on the winter overnight parking ban
--
If you'd like to be added to this discussion group, visit this group at the link below, or simply send email to gswi...@alum.mit.edu with your name and affiliation with West Newton.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "West Newton Community" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to westnewtonneighbo...@googlegroups.com.
If you'd like to be added to this discussion group, visit this group at the link below, or simply send email to gswi...@alum.mit.edu with your name and affiliation with West Newton.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "West Newton Community" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to westnewtonneighbo...@googlegroups.com.
Michael Halle
Aug 8, 2025, 6:39:50 PMAug 8
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
To clarify, by group rules and with a few exceptions and the occasional moderator error, only West Newton residents (or businesspeople?) may post to the list.
There are many people from outside of West Newton who read the list but can't post to it.
-Mike
From: westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Stephanie MANDELL <stephani...@hotmail.com>
Sent: Friday, August 8, 2025 6:34:39 PM
To: westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Friday, August 8, 2025 6:34:39 PM
To: westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com>
Andreae Downs
Aug 9, 2025, 7:51:48 AMAug 9
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
Which is not what this mayor wants to do
> On Aug 8, 2025, at 4:37 PM, 'Francis Yerardi' via West Newton Community <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
>
> While I appreciate Peter’s comments
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/westnewtonneighborhood/4D8D9A57-D2AA-4DF7-8203-4C7523BD7358%40icloud.com.
> On Aug 8, 2025, at 4:37 PM, 'Francis Yerardi' via West Newton Community <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
>
> While I appreciate Peter’s comments
Francis Yerardi
Aug 9, 2025, 7:52:32 AMAug 9
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com, westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
Well cuz when it snows the streets need to be plowed. If the plows have to go around parked cars it creates quite a mess, which then freezes over.
Often times it snows without a snow emergency being called. Take 3-5 inches of snow for example if there are parked cars on street it creates a mess
I guess it goes to each person / streets lived experience. While many live on wide streets with few cars
Many others especially in the more moderately priced neighborhoods have tight streets jammed with cars
As mentioned before removing what’s existing we should develop a comprehensive parking plan
pfh
Aug 9, 2025, 7:53:34 AMAug 9
to Stephanie MANDELL, westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
Unfortunately, all four sides have legitimate positions. The four sides being those for; those against; those in charge; and developers.
First: we need to identify why are you prohibited from parking off the street. Is it a physical reason; is it inconvenient; is it esthetic; or is it other?
Second, is it correctable? If not, why not? There being no room on the land to park a car seems a difficult problem. Others, such as unsightlyness or cost seem more "eye of the beholder" problems.
Third, if you park adjacent to someone else's street access (driveway), do you create a safety hazard? If you are on a roadway that has a pattern of street traffic, the answer is, most probably, yes.
Fourth, what is the reason for the ban. Different neighborhoods, different streets, different residents, different reasons.
There might be solutions other than ban or no ban. Our Charter, that is our city constitution, provides for a the appointment of a Citizens Assistance Officer [section. 3.2(b)] that might be able to solve the problem on a case by case basis. The position was intended to serve like the office of an Ombudsman in Scandinavian countries (an office that investigates complaints and mediates fair settlements). In Newton, our Mayor's have decided to keep that position under their supervision rather than allow independence.
Good luck in solving the problem. Remember the 3 d's; disregard opposing ideas, demean opposing solutions and demand total victory.
Peter F. Harrington.
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
pfh
Aug 9, 2025, 7:54:05 AMAug 9
to Stephanie MANDELL, westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
Correction.
First sentence should read:
First: we need to identify why are you prohibited from parking ON the street. Is it a physical reason; is it inconvenient; is it esthetic; or is it other?
Anne Goldbach
Aug 9, 2025, 11:15:16 AMAug 9
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com, westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
I agree with others who have said that we should not repeal the winter parking ban unless and until there is a viable solution for each of the villages.
Fran’s photo is a good example of what can happen after a snowfall. Imagine what that would look like after a couple more snowfalls of 3-5 inches! If cars are in the way, the city plows just go around the cars.
I am also very concerned that removal of the parking ban would play into the hands of developers who want to cram as much living street onto properties without providing sufficient parking.
Anne Goldbach
On Aug 9, 2025, at 7:52 AM, 'Francis Yerardi' via West Newton Community <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
Well cuz when it snows the streets need to be plowed. If the plows have to go around parked cars it creates quite a mess, which then freezes over.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/westnewtonneighborhood/1D7777B6-43F0-4681-9D79-CA7BE8034CC7%40icloud.com.
Lynne LeBlanc
Aug 9, 2025, 11:56:10 AMAug 9
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
Fran, cities with no parking ban still require off street parking during storms. That is a given.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/westnewtonneighborhood/1D7777B6-43F0-4681-9D79-CA7BE8034CC7%40icloud.com.
Stephanie MANDELL
Aug 9, 2025, 12:09:54 PMAug 9
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
Thank you for the clarification - I did not know that folks who are not residents of West Newton can read but cannot post to the listserve.
I guess Mike should continue to act as the liaison with Peter and the list serve then, b/c I would like to understand more about the commitment to better parking regulations and not just removing something without a plan.
I also do worry about where all the cars will go when there is an actual snow emergency.
Stephanie
From: westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com <westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Michael Halle <m...@halle.us>
Sent: Friday, August 8, 2025 6:39 PM
To view this discussion visit
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/westnewtonneighborhood/DF4D6584-9E0D-F84F-B370-8D995B4C3E73%40hxcore.ol.
Francis Yerardi
Aug 9, 2025, 12:23:43 PMAug 9
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com, westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
Newton would be only in declared snow emergency. We don’t often declare snow Emergency.
If there is 3-5 inches of snow cars will still be allow parking on street during storms.
Plows will go around them.
This is the result:
Anne Goldbach
Aug 14, 2025, 9:18:46 AMAug 14
to westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com, westnewtonn...@googlegroups.com
There is no “one size fits all” solution on the overnight parking issue. That is why I will vote NO on revoking the parking ban.
There need to be different solutions for different villages, or perhaps different streets. On many side streets in winter, snow piles up after there have been 2-3 smaller snowfalls - say 3 to 5 inches at a time, for example. The city does not declare a snow emergency in those instances. Plows just work around the parked cars, and after 2-3 snowfalls it’s a mess, and difficult for emergency vehicles and trucks to travel down the street. Some streets with two lanes end up becoming one way due to the piled up snow and cars — and people have to try to find somewhere to pull over their cars in order to let others pass.
Since the ballot question is an all or nothing vote, it’s a mistake to repeal the ban now without a better plan in place.
Regards,
Anne
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages