BOSTON (WHDH) - Local lawmakers are considering making residents pay for their parking permits in Boston. City residents know how hard it is to find parking in Boston, especially overnight parking. Lawmakers said they are working on a way to improve the situation.
Currently, any resident in Boston can apply for a free parking permit.
According to local City Councilor Michelle Wu, there are more than 109,000 parking permits given to residents, but there are not that many parking spots.
Wu now wants to hold a hearing in order to discuss residents paying for their permits. She believes this will create a decrease in the amount of people actually trying to park throughout the city, as well as create money for city workers to repair roads and improve bike lanes.
Some city residents say the payment for the permit would be acceptable if the money did go to road and bike lane repairs. Other residents said they could not imagine having to pay another fee, especially considering the cost of simply having and maintaining a car in the city.
Right now, there is no particular price for the permit that Wu is considering or recommending, but she says the system overhaul could include visitor sticker offerings, or even changing the permit rules to include city-wide parking, not just parking in one neighborhood.
There is no scheduled hearing date to discuss the proposal at this time.
Reforming our resident parking program can improve neighborhood livability for all, incl drivers! Stay tuned for a hearing date. I also plan to hold working sessions in the neighborhoods – please reach out if you’d like to help host or organize one near you! #bospoli https://t.co/NY4voVxWNk
— Michelle Wu 吳弭 (@wutrain) January 25, 2018
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