By Mayor Brian Arrigo
Last week, I announced the formation of a Resident Parking Working Group, which will make recommendations on the implementation of a resident permit parking program for the City. The goal is to have a program in place for 2018.
During these working group sessions, we will seek resident feedback on what kind of permit system would work best for our residents and businesses.
The first two meetings, in the City Council chamber, will be Public Hearings, with open comment periods for those looking to weigh in on potential changes:
Tuesday, September 12, 6 PM
Thursday, September 28, 6 PM
There will also be a third, deliberative session for the Working Group to work on their recommendations to the Mayor and to the Parking Director, to be held on Wednesday, October 11 at 10 AM.
All are welcome to attend and participate in all sessions. The working group will be steered by the City’s new Parking Director, Richard Wagner, who comes to Revere with decades of experience in municipal parking management. The group will also be led by ward councilors, the Revere Police Department, and the Revere Chamber of Commerce.
I know this is an important quality-of-life issue for our residents, and that we lag behind other communities in having a resident permit parking policy on most of our streets. I’ve heard concerns about this all the way back to the first time I ran for City Council, and continue to hear these issues now as Mayor. These forthcoming public hearings are designed to make sure that the program we implement is appropriate for our neighborhoods, and in line with the needs of our community.
Currently, we have a system where only a certain number of streets are permit parking only, and permits apply only on those specific streets. However, the application of this is inconsistent, and is based on residents or ward councilors seeking ordinance changes on a street-by-street basis from the Traffic Commission. There is no comprehensive approach.
It is clear based on my conversations with residents and ward councilors that this system is frustrating and requires an overhaul. However, there are many factors to consider and many different kinds of models we could follow in implementing a citywide program; different cities implement resident parking in different ways, whether it be street-by-street, neighborhood-by-neighborhood, or one permit citywide. These are the kinds of issues we need your feedback on.
I encourage all residents to make their voice heard at these working group hearings, though of course you can always reach out to me with your thoughts by emailing [email protected]. I know this is an issue many residents have been looking for progress on and I look forward to working with residents and businesses to make this a reality.
Brian Arrigo is the Mayor of Revere.