There’s an effort underway to repeal Newton’s winter parking ban. Courtesy photo
A City Council committee revisited Newton’s controversial parking ban on Wednesday but held off again on taking action.
It was the third time the item has been on the committee’s agenda since Feb. 18.
The winter ban prohibits cars from parking on any public roads in Newton from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. from Dec. 1 until March 31. A violation can result in a $25 fine. Last November, city voters narrowly voted against repealing the ban.
Chair Tarik Lucas had asked committee members to bring goals to Wednesday’s meeting for discussion. Lucas brought his own goals for a redesigned parking ban: It should have a positive climate impact, be equitable, allow for navigable streets, be easy to enforce and easy to change.
For the next hour, the committee members discussed the goals while voicing their opinions.
Councilor Sean Roche requested to consider emergency vehicle response. Councilor Maria Greenberg asked for solutions to be data driven, looking at the parking patterns of each specific neighborhood.
“One size doesn’t fit all if you have unique neighborhoods with different needs,” Greenberg said.
Greenberg also suggested possibly splitting the goal list into short- and long-term categories.
Lucas said he wanted to make clear this discussion was not intended to find a definite solution but provide a roadmap for a working group that would tackle this issue.
“There’s nothing written in,” Lucas said. “We’re not etching in stone right now. It’s all in pencil not in pen.”
The committee settled on a list of goals for a working group to consider when reworking the ban—street safety; a living, changeable document; and a timeline to find a solution by Dec. 1. The group would include five to seven people including people for and against the ban.
Councilors suggested bringing in someone from the city’s traffic council because they know the streets and regulations.
The council committee is expected to vote April 29 on whether to establish a working group.
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This story is part of a partnership between the Newton Beacon and the Boston University Department of Journalism.