Transportation

Boston Transportation Commissioner, Gina Fiandaca, Talks Parking at Neighborhood Council [Video]

Posted on Author Matt ContiComments(8)

Boston Transportation Commissioner Gina Fiandaca spoke with the North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC) this week regarding parking and traffic issues in the neighborhood.

The use of resident parking spaces by construction workers, valets and car-share companies was criticized at the meeting. NEWNC Traffic & Parking Committee Chair, Ryan Kenny, said that construction and development projects can take years with workers using dozens of “temporary” permitted parking spaces.

NEWNC members questioned the city’s new car-share program where Enterprise and ZipCar use public street spaces instead of parking lots. The use of Ride Boston spaces on Cross Street directly adjacent to a city parking lot was raised as objectionable.

In the North End, there are approximately 4350 resident parking permits that have been issued for less than 2,000 actual street spaces. BTD’s Stephen Passacantilli announced efforts to create more resident parking spaces. One notable increase will come from the Eliot School at 585 Commercial Street where the lot will be designated for nighttime resident parking bringing more than 40 new spots to the neighborhood.

More broadly, the Commissioner spoke about long-term mobility goals as part of the Imagine Boston planning process. Public Safety initiatives through Vision Zero is also a transportation priority for the city to eliminate fatal and serious traffic crashes.

A Fenway pilot of increased fines during Red Sox gamedays has been successful, according to BTD. The department is open to expanding that type of program to the North End and Bulfinch Triangle areas that contend with large event parking issues from TD Garden.

BTD has committed to step-up enforcement and encourages residents to call 311 when they see parking and traffic violations.

View the video above to see the complete discussion from the meeting.

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8 Replies to “Boston Transportation Commissioner, Gina Fiandaca, Talks Parking at Neighborhood Council [Video]”

  1. over 4,000 parking permits issued for 2,000 actual street spaces? So, whose fault is the parking mess?

  2. Several excellent questions. Answers seemed to be mere lip service. “We’ll send a team out.” Then what?

  3. Stepping up enforcement and encouraging people to use 311 is a joke.

    Here are some great examples of how 311 (does not) work:

    Check out this Illegal Parking at 264 266 Hanover St

    https://goo.gl/t90knc

    Check out this Illegal Parking at 31 37 Parmenter St

    https://goo.gl/A0MyF0

    COMMERCIAL VEHICAES GETTING SHOOED AND NOT TICKETED

    Check out this Illegal Parking at

    Intersection Of Garden Court St & Fleet St
    https://goo.gl/E5hJyx

    Enforcement actually had to wait to get down Hanover st because this commercial vehicle decided to stop in the middle of Hanover st

    AND THE BEST FOR LAST- ENFORCMENT WALING RIGHR BEHIND A DOUBLE PARKED TRUCK AND DID NOTHING ABOUT IT

    Check out this Illegal Parking at Intersection Of Lathrop Pl & Hanover St
    https://goo.gl/XkxvCD

    While most people are at work and commercial vehicles double park, block side street, etc enforcement TARGETS residents while walking right past illegally parked commercial vehicles.

    I’ve had numerous conversations with councilor Lamattina’s office, various “officials” at btd and nial Murphy at the mayor’s office and it is more of the same.

    Commercial vehicles get free passes and residents get no leeway.

    Commercial vehicle parked in the middle of Hanover st for an hour, Btd shoos them along. Resident in street cleaning for 5 minutes, ticket after ticket.

    The city complains about budget issues and yet they let these out of city out of state vehicles do as they please and not issue tickets.

    I’m so glad we have those special firetrucks and ambulance that can fly over illegally parked commercial vehicles incase of an emergency.

    And I’ve been told that enforcement can use “their discression” when it comes to commercial vehicle.
    1) why don’t they use any discression when it comes to RESIDENTS

    2) I’m glad that fires and medical emergencies use discression and won’t happen when Hanover st is gridlocked at 2pm, Prince st is impassable due to illegal parking and/ or the numerous emergency turn radius that are used by commercial vehicles to do whatever they please.

  4. The city should cross check resident stickers with the RMV and excise databases, so all those folks who changed their car address to get a sticker, then changed it back for cheaper insurance or who moved out of the neighborhood but still use the sticker, are ticketed or have their stickers revoked with an additional penalty for those who park In a residential spot with a revoked sticker.

  5. I have an issue with the amount of handicapped parking spaces that are in the North End. I know for a fact that there are a lot of residents that have passed away (sad to say) but that their family members park in the handicapped spots and actually have the gall to put cones when they go out. These spots are not private parking spaces, anyone with a handicapped plaque card or license plate can park in them, not just boston residents either. Does the City of Boston check these at all?

    1. agreed. there are way to many handicap spaces in the north end. as for the residents that use cones, there is a guy around 28 charter street that always saves a space with a cone and often times will save it while parking in the space just ahead or behind it!! imagine if every person was saving one space while parking in other? this type of abuse needs to be stopped. the city should remove these spaces if they are being continuously abused. in the short term, just call 311 to have the cones removed. it usually is only a short-term fix because these abusers have stockpiled a lifetime supply of orange cones, but at last you can piss them off just a little bit.

  6. I think the city needs to better manage the supply of resident parking permits. I think a combination of charging a yearly fee for a permit, plus limiting permits to 1 (or maybe 2) per household, would make a lot of sense. When permits are free and unlimited, as they are now, it’s no wonder they have issued so many more than there are spaces available.

  7. Charlie, the Law requires that Only the person issued a placard can operate the vehicle or MUST be in the vehicle when it is being used.. Of course we all know like everything else in this city that laws that are unenforced are useless.

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