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July 21, 2009
TRAFFIC AND PARKING INTRODUCES “2ND SHIFT” BUSINESS PARKING PERMITS; URGES BUSINESSES, RELIGIOUS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CURRENT PERMIT PROGRAMS
Traffic Commission to Vote July 30th on Proposals to Extend Current Business Permits to 6 p.m.; Create New 6 p.m.-to-3:30 a.m. Permits; Create Special 2-10 a.m. Resident Permit-Only Zones on 8 Major Streets
SOMERVILLE - Acting Director of Traffic and Parking James Kotzuba announced today that his department would be moving ahead on several new measures designed to help businesses and religious organizations ensure parking access for workers, customers and congregants. The changes were recommended last month by the City's 14-member Parking Solutions Task Force (PSTF), an advisory group of business owners, elected officials, and parking policy experts appointed by Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. Kotzuba said the measures would include the creation of a new "second shift" business permit that would allow businesses to ensure parking for their employees and commercial vehicles in the 6 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. time slot. "We also plan to extend the current daytime permits to 6 p.m.," Kotzuba said.
"We already have programs in place to work with faith communities, and arts organizations on a case-by-case basis to make sure their needs are met," said Kotzuba. "In the case of synagogues, for example, they may need a number of parking permits for Friday evenings and Saturdays to handle overflow parking beyond their off-street lot capacity. Non-profit arts organizations may need a small number of evening parking permits while a show is in rehearsal or an installation is under construction, and then require additional permits for attendees on the nights of performance. That's something we already do, and the permits are only one dollar each."
As Traffic and Parking continues to convert parking meters to operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and to charge one dollar an hour, and as the City prepares for a gradual conversion to citywide permit parking, Kotzuba indicated that he would also seek authority from the Traffic Commission to convert eight major thoroughfares to permit-only parking from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. "This change will allow non-permitted visitors to continue to park in two-hour zones - both metered and unmetered - but will prevent unpermitted cars from parking overnight. It's a change that will help preserve parking for businesses and residents alike," Kotzuba said. The eight streets affected by the change would be Broadway, Medford St., Highland Ave, Holland St., Elm St., Somerville Ave, Beacon St. and Washington St.
"We have a long list of task force recommendations that we intend to implement in order to keep parking convenient and accessible even as rates go up," said Kotzuba. "We want to get more Park Cards into the hands of the public so that they can pay without quarters. We want to get kiosks into our lots in Davis and Magoun Squares so that parkers can use debit and credit cards to pay for parking with greater convenience. But above all, we want to get the word out that there are many permit programs out there that people just don't know about."
The proposals to extend the current business permits, create the new second shift business permits, and change to early morning permit parking for the eight arterial roads will be voted on by the Traffic Commission at its July 30th meeting.
A copy of the full Parking Solutions Task Force Report and Recommendations is available online at the Traffic and Parking Department web page at www.somervillema.gov.
For more information, please call 311.
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