The Boston Globe highlights the lack of enforcement of valet parkers, an integral part of the North End restaurant scene.
“Valet parkers, the Globe found, pay little heed to the requirement that arriving cars be quickly moved to garages or lots. They routinely ignore regulations that forbid double parking and taking up metered spaces. Some grab resident parking spots and even handicapped parking to squirrel away cars belonging to diners. Such violations make it even more difficult for local residents to negotiate already congested streets and park their cars.”
“The Transportation Department oversees 136 valet licenses, renewable annually. About 100 of those are for restaurants – and some nightclubs – the vast majority of which are in the Back Bay, South End, downtown, and North End. Almost all of the rest are issued to hotels, large condominium buildings, and hospitals.” … “One reason for the widespread violations observed by the Globe: Few of the city’s traffic enforcement officers work the dinner hour or weekends. And the dozen or so police citations written every year that lead to hearings are mostly handed out during the middle of the week.”
See the full article: Valet parking violations punished lightly, if at all.
Separately, the Mayor’s office announced a “Nightclub Enforcement Unit” in response to recent late night violence. The task force will conduct regular, unannounced checks at late night establishments throughout Boston. Included in the new unit will be representatives from Boston Police, Fire, Inspectional Services and the Licensing Division.
“Establishing a cohesive inspection unit will allow us to better enforce permitting and licensing requirements that will protect public safety and reduce excessive noise, overcrowding, and other quality of life issues,” Menino said in a statement. The random checks will include “all popular late night entertainment venues, not just those designated by statute as nightclubs.”
