Traffic Comm. Approves Parking Sticker Program

The Revere Traffic Commission, led by Chairman Paul Argenzio, unanimously approved a citywide overnight resident parking sticker program during its meeting April 25 at the Council Chambers.

James Rose, parking director for the City of Revere, said the program will begin in December following the distribution of the new parking passes to residents.

“Residents who pay an excise tax to the City of Revere will be able to obtain an overnight pass that will allow them to park on the street from 12 a.m. (midnight) to 6 p.m.,” said Rose. “What we’re trying to accomplish is more parking for our residents.”

The parking passes will be free of charge. There will be an annual charge of $10 for a visitors’ pass (one per household).

Rose said many people living in illegal rooming houses do not pay excise taxes to the city. Once the program is implemented, officers will be able to ticket those vehicle owners.

“We will be able to tag those cars [that do not have a resident parking sticker]and require them to find parking spaces elsewhere,” said Rose.

Ward 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna said that the Beachmont neighborhood has “one of the largest numbers of Airbnb properties and rooming houses” in the city. “All of these cars are not registered in Revere,” she said.

McKenna worked with Councillor-at-Large Jessica Giannino, Revere Police Sgt. Chris Giannino (Jessica’s father), and City Clerk Ashley Melnik in developing the original ordinance for the overnight parking program.

“I am thrilled that the Traffic Commission passed this overnight parking ban as quickly as they did and that it did not linger in sub-committee,” said McKenna. “I  believe that this parking ban will relieve the overcrowded parking that occurs on a daily basis and in the long term this program will help our residents.”

Rose expects the program to begin by the start of the winter season. “We have to put up new parking signs and have a bidding process for the parking stickers,” said Rose.

He said there are 34,000 registered vehicles in Revere. “The estimated cost of each sticker is $2.75,” said Rose. “We’re also going to have a hire a parking control officer. A lot of people think a city makes money from a permit parking program. This is probably at best a break-even situation. The program is not a money-maker. It’s trying to get parking for the residents of Revere. By implementing this program, we’ll be able to control the parking situation.”

During the Traffic Commission meeting, City Council President Arthur Guinasso urged the members of the Commission to approve the program and begin its implementation soon. Guinasso said he understands that the bidding process and the installation of parking signs throughout the city should take “four or five months, which is ample time. I have all the faith in the world that with Jim Rose leading the process that it will be done by then.” 

Traffic Committee Chairman Paul Argenzio said the new program is intended “to stop people in boarding houses, Airbnbs and illegal apartments, various renters, and other people who register their cars in other cities and towns, from parking their cars overnight on Revere streets.”

“We want those people who are living here and parking here to register their car here and pay their excise taxes here,” said Argenzio.

Police Chief James Guido, a member of the Traffic Commission, helped advance a request by a resident that the exact street addresses (house number and street) should not appear on the parking stickers. Some residents had expressed concern that by having their exact street addresses on the stickers it would allow others to know where they live by seeing that information on the parking stickers.

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