Newton Will Have To Pay That Parking Meter Again Soon

NEWTON, MA —You'll have to pay to park in Newton again, beginning July 12, signalling yet another watermark that things are returning to pre-pandemic levels of "normal."

In addition to more people being out and about again, going back to the office and shopping and dining in the village centers, parking spaces are filling up fast.

"The reason we enforce parking restrictions is so there is turnover and spaces continually become available," said Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller in a statement. "During the pandemic, we suspended enforcement of parking violations, allowing cars to be parked as long as needed at metered spaces and in municipal parking lots. This was possible because so many people were staying home that there was plenty of parking available for those needing to park for a quick errand, to pick up takeout or go to work. That’s no longer the case. "

In March 2020, shortly after the mayor declared a state of emergency within the city because of the pandemic, she also announced that a handful of parking restrictions — from meter violations, to resident parking only streets to overnight winter ban parking — would not be enforced.

In towns like Brookline, officials stopped enforcing parking rules in part to help encourage business at restaurants and small businesses until June 1, in Malden enforcement started back up on June 8. In Cambridge it was June 15, as parking enforcement staff returned to work more fully.

On Oct. 19 the Newton Police Department began ticketing those who are parked on resident permit streets without permits, and those who overstayed the one and two hour parking areas.

The coronavirus put the revenue from parking meters, and enforcement of parking restrictions on hold.

But area transportation consultant Bill Schwartz, of the company Nelson, Nygaard has said metered parking is less something meant to be relied upon for city revenue and more something that is actually meant to help local businesses.

"It's not just about revenue, it's about supporting the commercial entities nearby, so you're getting the kind of turnover you want to support the business community," Schwartz said in an interview.

As long as people feel confident there will be parking when they arrive at a given location — be it the N2 corridor along Needham Street, or Newton Centre — people will go to the area to do business.

Fuller said because the spaces have been filling up, she worries that will cause people not to frequent those shopping districts.

During the downtime that the pandemic created, the Department of Public Works replaced 1,100 old parking meters with solar-powered smart meters. The new smart meters still take coins, but can also be paid with a credit or debit card or with the Parking Passport smartphone app

DPW is also installing parking kiosks in municipal parking lots so coins, credit cards and Parking Passport can be used there too. This work should be completed by the end of the summer, according to Fuller.

Previously:

• You Don't Have To Pay That Parking Meter In Newton ...
• Newton Police To Begin Ticketing Again For These Parking ...

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