Bostonians Should Pay $25 A Year For Resident Parking: Proposal

BOSTON — In the face of congestion and pollution in the city and amid rising living costs here, should Boston residents be charged for a resident parking sticker? Currently, all you have to have is proof that you live in Boston, and enough patience to stand in line at city hall, to get a neighborhood resident sticker for your car. But, after years of dancing around the idea, Boston city council debated the question Wednesday, and it quickly turned into a parking reform conversation Wednesday.

"The long and short of it is the resident parking system isn't working for a lot of citizens," said City Councilor Michelle Wu, who introduced the ordinance regarding resident parking.

She said cars circling the block looking for parking contribute to congestion, air pollution and frustration.

She allowed that her proposed $25 a year is a lot to ask for residents living in an increasingly expensive city. But, she said, the ordinance would make exceptions for people living in poverty, senior citizens and others.

"We have to have a conversation," said Wu, and include ride share companies and other stakeholders.

The question seemed to touch a nerve with many. Councilors both pushed back, but also agreed it was time to have a serious conversation about parking.

Immediately Althea Garrison, the city councilor at large who replaced Ayanna Pressley, said she was against charging residents, calling it an unnecessary burden and a "slippery slope," to charge residents.

Councilor Tim McCarthy, of district 5 said his constituents weren't happy about this proposal, either.

"This hurts middle class families," he said and offered instead the city place an extra fee on ride share companies. "We missed it. They bragged about how 50,000 vehicles would be driving around the city. If you want to surge and surcharge people, surcharge the people who are taking Lyft and Uber everywhere.... I'd like to rip open the band aid of Uber and Lyft and get them to pay."

Others, like City Councilor Kim Janey, of district 7, saw it as a way to collect more revenue, budget season top of mind.

Lydia Edwards of district 1 said this goes beyond just revenue and should involve a parking task force.

"The question really is about parking reform in Boston, that's what we need," said Edwards. "We have to change, the question is how are we going to change together so that we do not hurt those who are particularly concerned about their pocket books."

Councilors noted it's a complicated topic, pointing some folks who don't live near public transportation depend on the free parking on Boston streets and come park near MBTAs and then finish their commute to work.

Edwards also mentioned a visitor parking pass, similar to Cambridge's should be part of the conversation and the council should examine the

"Is the goal to generate revenue, or is the goal to reduce cars on the street? I don't know that $25 is going to do that. I don't know if $50 is going to do that, but before we have this conversation we need to clarify that," said Edwards.

At-Large Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George, said the ones who should pay are the people who come from out of city and out of state abusing the parking.

"We need to make sure we're enforcing the rules on our books that we have right now," she said adding the city should make sure to take stock of what parking the city currently has before moving forward.

Boston is in the process of a Boston Parking Atlas and Rules Census.

Watch the councilors talk it out:

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).