Traffic & Parking

Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Planning Meeting

Tues., Mar. 9, 6:30 PM

Upper Hall
Greek Orthodox Church
29 Central St.
Somerville MA (map)

This is the second phase 3 planning meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee. At this meeting, the group will continue specifying goals, policies and actions…

The New England Center for Investigative Reporting at Boston University has taken an interest in our (Somerville Voices) proposed investigation of parking fines and has offered to analyze the ticket data for the amount of $500.…

Davis Square Visioning Meeting

Wed. Mar. 3 6:30 PM

Tufts Administration Building (TAB)
169 Holland St.
Somerville MA (map)

This meeting, sponsored by the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD), is intended to promote discussion about what should happen in the Davis Square area in the…

Assembly Square Public Advisory Committee Meeting

Tues. Mar. 2 6:00 PM

Federal Realty Investment Trust
5 Middlesex Ave. Suite 401
Somerville MA (map)

This is the regular meeting the Assembly Square PAC. At this meeting we will discuss how the IKEA development is to proceed in 2010 and how to…

Regional Transportation Advisory Council Meeting

Wed. Feb. 10 3:00 PM

State Transportation Building
Conf. Rm. 4
10 Park Plaza
Boston MA (map)

Jan. 28, 2010 MPO Amendment to Public Comment Period. (PDF)

Feb 2. 2010 TCAC Letter to MPO (PDF)

This…

Comment Period on Amendment to MPO Public Participation Plan

Starts: Mon. Feb. 8
Ends: Thurs. Mar. 25

Amendment (PDF)

This is the beginning of the 45-day comment period on the MPO Public Participation Plan to shorten or waive the public comment period on certification documents.

Ordinarily…

Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Planning Meeting

Tues., Feb. 16, 6:30 PM

Upper Hall
Greek Orthodox Church
29 Central St.
Somerville MA (map)

This is the rescheduling of the Feb. 9 Phase 3 planning meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee. At this meeting, the group will begin specifying…

Following an armed robbery in the Market Basket parking lot last October, store representatives promised the Aldermen to address safety issues by installing surveillance cameras and better lighting in the parking lot. They also promised to undertake a parking study to address concerns about overcrowding and parked cars in fire lanes.  I wonder how much progress they’ve made so far?…

MassDOT Public Hearing for Somerville’s Washington Street Project

Thurs. Jan. 7, 7:00 PM

Ralph and Jenny Senior Center
9 New Washington St.
Somerville MA (map)

This is a public hearing on road improvements to Washington Street from New Washington Street to the Boston city line. These improvements are…

Ward 5 ResiStat Meeting

Tues. Dec. 1, 7:00 PM

Cafeterium
John F. Kennedy School
5 Cherry St.
Somerville MA (map)

This meeting, sponsored by Mayor Curtatone and Ward 5 Alderman O’Donovan, deals with statistical data and issues relating to Ward 5. Similar meetings are held in all other…

Ward 2 ResiStat Meeting

Mon. Nov. 30, 7:30 PM

Argenziano School
290 Washington Street
Somerville MA (map)

This meeting, sponsored by Mayor Curtatone and Ward 2 Alderman Heuston, deals with statistical data and issues relating to Ward 2. Similar meetings are held in all other wards of the…

Pittsburgh floats a sales tax on college tuition!

Permit parking changes are coming. The City has officially set Monday January 4th as the enforcement date for citywide resident permit parking. + SPARCs Push for Tweaks to Permit Parking- Wins to Report + Summary from Nov 4th Parking Solutions Task Force meeting.

Somerville Voices will sponsor a public forum on Sunday, Nov 15th, 7-9:30 pm about our city’s changing parking regulations and how they will affect residents, visitors, businesses, and the city budget. …

Rutherford Avenue/Sullivan Square Project Design Meeting

Thurs. Oct. 8, 6:30 PM

Schrafft’s Center Cafe
529 Main St.
Charlestown MA (map) ‎

Public meeting to discuss the Rutherford Ave./Sullivan Square Design.

For background and issue to monitor, see Rutherford Avenue / Sullivan Square Redesign Project …

Somerville Traffic Commission Meeting

Thurs. Oct. 15, 6:00 PM

Somerville Traffic and Parking
133 Holland St.
Somerville MA (map)

This is the regular meeting of the Traffic Commission to discuss parking and traffic issues throughout Somerville, including resident parking, meter rates, and time periods.

For background and…

Q:  Why Didn’t the Rolling Somerville Pedestrian Cross the Road at the Crosswalk?

A:  Because the City of Somerville Deciders have been playing chicken with standards.

This photo essay will show 30 lost opportunities to create a safer community on Mayor Curtatone’s watch.…

In preparation for the parking tickets story, I have submitted the following request for public records to the City:

—————–

to Jaclyn Rossetti <JRossetti(at)somervillema.gov>
cc Thomas Champion <TChampion(at)somervillema.gov>
date Tue, Aug 25, 2009 at 10:16 AM
subject Public Records Request : Parking Meter Revenues

Dear Public Information Officer Jackie Rossetti…

In preparation for the parking tickets story, I have submitted the following request for public records to the City:

—————–

to Jaclyn Rossetti <JRossetti(at)somervillema.gov>
cc Thomas Champion <TChampion(at)somervillema.gov>
date Tue, Aug 25, 2009 at 10:10 AM
subject Public Records Request : Parking Officer Data

Dear Public Information Officer Jackie Rossetti…

In preparation for the parking tickets story, I have submitted the following request for public records to the City:

——————

to Jaclyn Rossetti <JRossetti(at)somervillema.gov>
cc Thomas Champion <TChampion(at)somervillema.gov>
date Tue, Aug 25, 2009 at 10:00 AM
subject Public Records Request : Car Towing Information

Dear Public Information Officer Jackie Rossetti…

In preparation for the parking tickets story, I have submitted the following request for public records to the City:

——————

to Jaclyn Rossetti <JRossetti(at)somervillema.gov>
cc Thomas Champion <TChampion(at)somervillema.gov>
date Tue, Aug 25, 2009 at 9:55 AM
subject Public Records Request : Parking Ticket Appeals

Dear Public Information Officer Jackie Rossetti…

In preparation for the parking tickets story, I have submitted the following request for public records to the city:

——————

to Jaclyn Rossetti <JRossetti(at)somervillema.gov>
cc Thomas Champion <TChampion(at)somervillema.gov>
date Tue, Aug 25, 2009 at 9:21 AM
subject Public Records Request : Parking Ticket Data

Dear Public Information Officer Jackie Rossetti…

This is the regular meeting of the Traffic Commission to discuss extending resident-only parking throughout Somerville and increasing meter rates and time periods. Thurs. Aug. 20, 6 PM , Tufts Admin. Building (TAB) 167 Holland St.

I would like to read Somerville’s official parking regulations, including the schedule of fines, the hearing process, etc. Does anyone know if this information is available online? Thanks…

Thursday’s event at City Hall was a far cry from the tense, emotion-high fracas that went down at the Traffic Commission meeting two weeks ago. The stately Aldermanic chamber was likewise filled with concerned Somerville citizens, but this time, the city’s controversial May 21 vote was the agenda.…

Click here to listen: link

Although parking tickets are meant to punish violators and provide maximum street access to those who live, work, or visit here, the city depends on this revenue to shore up its budget. We intend to find out whether all residential neighborhoods and business districts pay an equitable share of parking fines. If not, why? We will analyze the ticket data to see who is paying or not and for which types of tickets.…

Traffic Board Meeting and Hearing

Thurs. Aug. 13, 6 PM

Aldermanic Chamber
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

Agenda (PDF)

This is a special meeting of the Traffic Board. It includes a public hearing on petitions challenging the decision to extend parking…

This public hearing will be convened by the Traffic Board in the Aldemanic Chamber at City Hall. I initially noticed this in Deb Filcman’s Aug 7 SJ blog post.  For background about the parking changes, visit the SPARC blog , check out the just-posted video of the 7/27 interview on SCAT’s Progressive Voices of SPARC-co-founder Courtney Koslow,  or see the recent articles on Somerville Voices/Journal/News.…

It seems as if the Somerville Traffic Commission has a sticky situation on it’s hands. I attended the regularly scheduled Somerville Traffic Commission meeting at the Tufts Administration building this evening, and from what was printed on the agenda, I expected a fairly run-of-the-mill session. But the 75-odd residents who packed the TAB cafeteria had a different agenda in mind…

Somerville Traffic Commission Meeting

Thurs. July 30, 5 PM

Tufts Admin. Building (TAB)
167 Holland St.
Somerville MA (map)

Report of Parking Solutions Task Force, June 2009 (PDF)

This is a regular meeting of the Traffic Commission. Note time change. Matters of interest:

Somerville Parking Advocacy and Reform Coalition (SPARC), a group of business groups, neighborhood associations and concerned residents advocating for a more thoughtful and comprehensive approach to parking regulation in Somerville, has formed to addresses the recent citywide parking changes.…

I got ticketed for not moving my car. The snow had melted, noone had complained. This rule is AWFUL…

Pleasant Auto School and Somerville Adult Evening School have teamed up to provide a 5 week driver’s education course for any teens or adults with a learner’s permit. Students receive 30 hours of classroom instruction, twelve hours of Road Lessons, six hours of observation time.