yelling

Following up on an earlier post about Newton’s overnight winter parking ban–a seemingly low-stakes bill with surprisingly far-reaching consequences–I got a pamphlet in the mail today giving the argument-for and the argument-against repealing the ban. Somehow, my own steel-man provided better arguments for keeping the ban than the advocates who printed this did, and I don’t even agree with them!

From the horse’s mouth

Voting NO keeps the overnight winter parking ban, ensures safe and accessible streets, reduces congestion and emissions, and limits parking by residents of large apartment complexes, college students and nonresidents. A “yes” vote would cause more cars on our streets, and unsafe conditions for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. “Yes” would compromise snow removal, winter driving, emergency and service vehicles, and force additional snow removal by residents. Developers should provide parking for new complexes and not rely on city streets for parking more cars than can fit on their property. Residents can already obtain waivers to park overnight in municipal lots and on the street in special cases. Longstanding and effective, the winter overnight parking ban supports safer, cleaner and quieter streets and should only be reconsidered when a careful comprehensive plan is developed. A NO vote is a vote for public safety and responsible use of our community streets.

A couple things stick out to me:

  • If this is such a danger, explain how. This blurb goes to great lengths saying that this threatens the life of every Newton resident multiple times, but people can already park on the street 66% of the year, and the death toll from it is lower than you’d expect.
  • They say that opponents of the ban need a “careful comprehensive” plan while advocating for an overnight winter parking ban to solve developer, environmental, and public safety issues.
  • Advocates of repealing the ban have made it clear that parking bans during inclement weather would still take effect, making these claims highly misleading at best.

Keep an eye out in November

I didn’t think I’d ever be passionate about repealing a municipal parking law, but I guess I’ve been radicalized by how awful I think the opposing arguments are. More than the thrill of the subject itself, though, it’s been eye-opening how sneaky, no-frills local political battles like this actually impact long-term large-scale issues like Massachusetts housing.