WATERTOWN, MA – As chilly weather moves into New England, Boston area residents begin to prepare for what is playfully referred to as the “parking game”: the practice of searching for parking amid a chaotic blend of parking bans, snow bans, and space savers placed in triumphantly shoveled spots. In one town in particular, some residents are gearing up in a new way this season as they prepare a call to action to end what has long been known as the winter parking ban.
The overnight parking ban in Watertown, Massachusetts is one that has been in place for decades. Enforced from just after Thanksgiving through April each year, anyone without a coveted parking spot has been unable to leave their car on the street between 1AM-6AM. For many years, it hasn’t been a problem in the primarily residential suburbs of single-family homes each equipped with their own private driveway. Yet as the town begins to take on a new face and make way for multi-families (five have been constructed on Fayette Street alone in the past year), private parking has become a perk of the past. “My father in law came to visit we had to walk about a mile to get him a parking space at Lowell elementary. He’s in his 70’s,” explains Kassie Richardson, Watertown resident. “His partner just had surgery and – it’s just not a good situation for anyone who has any kind of pregnancy, disability, or is older.”
While the initial rationale of the parking ban was to ensure for safe snow removal and passage of emergency vehicles that has been enforced through parking tickets, the current impact has left young families forced to figure it out. “Condos are a big thing now, so that means the parking really does need to be updated,” says Richardson.
Watertown Citizens for Better Parking describes the ban as “especially disruptive for the elderly, disabled, any residents who may be unwell
(whether from illness, surgery, etc.), tenants living in high-density dwellings with insufficient off-street parking, visitors from out of town, and the list goes on. There is also inherent economic inequality and
unfairness in the policy, as it favors homeowners.”
From raising concerns about women walking alone at night to parents with young children not having a car available in case of emergency and having to walk through busy crosswalks at dusk with schoolbags and groceries in hand, the ban once intended to protect the community now poses several risks – including icy, uncleared paths that relies on homeowners as a responsibility. “You can look down our block and see one of the houses, the owner isn’t there all the time so the sidewalk will be icy for an indefinite amount of time. It’s awful,” says Richardson.
While parking bans are not uncommon, many neighboring communities such as Quincy, Allston and Brighton that have recognized a similar trend in community housing dynamics have begun to make the swap to snow emergency bans that require drivers only to move their car in cases where inclement weather is imminent.
Looking to get involved? Reach Watertown Citizens for Better Parking at betterparkingwatertown@gmail.com.
Emmalyn Reid 