The City’s winter overnight parking ban, which is in effect December 1 through March 31 each year, has been the subject of considerable debate, and a committee — Vote Yes to Repeal the Winter Overnight Parking Ban — has formed to seek its repeal. Since delivering fifty signatures of the 10,000 required to put a binding initiative on the November ballot to repeal the ban, supporters of the repeal have collected “a bit more than 2,400 signatures,” according to the Repeal committee co-chair Jeremy Freudberg. He and committee co-chair, former Ward 3 City Councilor Jim Cote, hope to collect an additional 4,000 signatures by mid-August and file the requisite signatures in time for the November election.
Among the reasons for the committee’s determination to repeal the overnight ban is that some families with more than one car or multi-family households have limited driveway space. Moreover, municipal lots generally do not allow overnight parking and are not a feature of most neighborhoods. The committee maintains that a total ban is not needed, and temporary, emergency winter bans are always an option, parking permits can restrict parking on narrow neighborhood streets.
According to Committee Co-chair, Jeremy Freudberg: “Our ask is simple: to get rid of the citywide winter overnight parking ban, which is extremely burdensome and proven to be unnecessary for snow removal purposes. It is absurd and unfair to make people waste their valuable time shuffling cars, walking back and forth from far-flung municipal parking lots, or enduring a longer commute after they eventually give up and leave Newton. Of course parking can be prohibited where and when it makes sense to do so, but we should be realistic and intentional about when and where such prohibitions are necessary. From our team’s conversations with thousands of Newton residents, it is clear that too many are fed up with this outdated ordinance, and are frustrated that their plight has been unnecessarily overshadowed by concerns about development. We look forward to seeking relief at the ballot box this fall.”
Arguing against the parking ban repeal, MaryLee Belleville. a Newton Center community activist, notes: “On the surface this may seem like a good idea, but at a time when the city is planning to significantly increase density AND eliminate all parking requirements, this has unintended consequences. Developers don’t want to provide parking if they can get away with it. But since most residents have parking needs, they must offer off-street parking to sell/rent the property. The elimination of the winter parking ban changes that. They will replace the land where they would have provided parking with additional housing diverting parking to the neighborhood streets.”
Mr. Freudberg generally stands outside the Newton Free Library 4:30-5:30PM on Wednesdays to collect signatures for the committee’s petition. Signature sheets are also available at Che Empanada (795 Washington Street), which is run by Mr. Cote’s wife.
