Residents, Officials and Students Gripe Over Brookline Parking

By: Mary Vitale

BROOKLINE – Boston University junior Jackie Baidar leaves her Pleasant Street apartment at 8:15 a.m. with her friend Sarah, who is visiting from New York. The two brave the morning chill to walk the 10 blocks to a Brookline overnight parking lot to retrieve Sarah’s car before 9 a.m. to avoid a $30 parking ticket on top of the $10 fee they already paid for a one-time overnight parking pass.

This scenario is a common occurrence for Baidar and other Brookline residents who struggle with the town’s strict parking regulations.

“Even though I don’t have a car, it’s a big pain when I have friends or family come visit,” Baidar said. “But luckily for me, I have an overnight parking lot pretty close to me. I know some other students who have to park or have their visitors park all the way out in Allston.”

Brookline does not allow overnight parking. There is a two-hour parking limit. Commuters and shoppers often find themselves struggling to run errands or visit friends without getting a hefty parking ticket.

“There is no question that it’s a pain and an expense to have or drive a car in this town,” said Michael Sandman, chairman of the Transportation Board. “But we are an urban town, and if you look at other urban areas, it is not easier to park there either. We really are doing the best we can.”

Chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen Nancy Daly said officials understand the stress of the parking restrictions, but they do not plan on changing them. Daly said the board became concerned when many Boston commuters left their cars on Brookline streets for the day making it difficult for town residents to find spaces. This prompted many of the regulations.

“The transportation board and town government feel the need to protect residents from Boston commuters,” Daly said. “We also try to encourage residents to use public transportation.”

Several Boston University and Northeastern students such as Baidar who rent apartments in Brookline said they find the parking to be extremely difficult.

“I think any student who wants to bring a car to school if they’re living here is insane,” Baidar said. “It’s just too hard to deal with.”

Abby Swaine, another member of the Transportation Board, said residents who wish to have visitors park in Brookline can obtain different permits from the town.

“We try to accommodate special circumstances as much as we can,” Swaine said. “Unfortunately, I feel there will always be tension between people who need the limited number of spaces we have.”

Residents recently have been allowed to purchase yearly residential parking permits for $25, which allows them to park their car on their own street for more than two hours at a time. However, unregistered cars parking on residential streets are also a problem with parking in the town, according to some residents. Sandman said there are about 38,000 registered cars in Brookline, and many permitted residents are still finding difficulty to park their vehicles.

John Padris, 35, said he purchased a parking permit from the town this year, but he still sometimes cannot find a space in front of his home because many unregistered commuters continue to park on his street.

“It’s frustrating when you try to follow the town’s regulations and unregistered cars still manage to find their way on your street,” Padris said. “It’s a little ironic that so many people say parking in Brookline is impossible, yet these unauthorized cars never seem to get ticketed.”

Swaine agreed that Brookline’s transportation system would run a lot smoother if police enforced parking restrictions with more consistency.

“The number of police working full-time has declined the last few years, and we understand that handing out parking tickets is not their top priority,” she said. “However, we do have a major problem with parking enforcement.”

Sandman said the Transportation Board has proposed allowing meter maids to issue tickets along residential streets, as well as, metered parking on commercial streets to help ease the problem.

“The bottom line is Brookline was built before the era of the car and there will simply never be enough parking spaces for everyone who needs one,” Swaine said.
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