Needham Parking Fines Going Up

It may be worth keeping a closer eye on your parking meter, as the next ticket you get may be a little more expensive.

The Board of Selectmen considered, at their Tuesday night meeting, a plan to increase parking fines around the city. Under the previous structure, most infractions would earn a $10 ticket. Parking in a handicap space or bus stop earns a $100 fine.

The new fines proposed by officials made some parking violations more expensive than others. The heftiest fines go to people parking in front of a fire hydrant or in a fire lane, which is a $25 ticket. For $20, you can pay off a ticket for parking to block a crosswalk, or blocking snow removal.

Other parking tickets go up from $10 to $15 under the new structure brought before the Board of Selectmen.

The new rates were voted unanimously by the Board. Selectman Dan Matthews explained that the increase is a move to ensure the amount raised through parking fines pays for enforcement of parking rules.

Under Mass. General Law, the maximum fine for blocking a bus stop is $100. Selectman John Bulian did float the idea of increasing the fine for parking in or blocking a handicap space. 

Officials note that there are some handicap violations every year, but the majority are by people who have forgotten to hang their handicap placards.