Hidden lot behind Town Hall has 18 spaces (2 of them handicapped)
For most of us parking in downtown Amherst is pretty straightforward. You drive around to find the perfect spot closest to a destination and then put money in the machine and hope you timed it correctly to avoid a $10 ticket, which if unpaid quickly escalates many times over in amount due.
Last year Parking Enforcement issued almost 23,000 tickets and the Transportation Fund -- between violations and fines -- benefited by around $400,000.
Some folks of course never have to worry about a parking ticket, and if they use the hidden spot behind Town Hall, probably never worry about finding a prime location to park. And no, I'm not talking about special state issued Handicapped Permits (which also allows free parking).
The Town Manager's office issues parking permits to some town employees, as well as appointed and elected officials. They are valid at any of the 538 on-street metered and public lot spaces around town.
Both the 5-member Select Board (the town's Executive branch of government) and the 5-member Jones Library Board of Trustees possess permits, although a Select Board member told me:
We do not use them while simply enjoying downtown:-) And we have all had plenty of parking tickets -- just in case you wondered -- from the days before we had passes and for when we're currently out and about for non-Select Board work and guess our meter/machine time wrong.On Thursday afternoon (4/2) a walk around town center turned up 24 vehicles with the placards displayed on the front dashboard, nine of them in the secret lot behind Town Hall. And on Good Friday I found 26, with nine once again in the lot behind Town Hall.
Naturally none of these prized placards are issued to front line police, fire or DPW workers.
There's a movement afoot to build a new parking garage in town center, although the two most recent study/analysis reports -- one in 2008 and the other being released this week -- seem to indicate there is enough parking overall to meet demand, just not at peak periods.
Kind of like a health club that sees the trendy popular aerobic machines overbooked at 5:30 PM but in the early morning or later at night, not so much. Like most things in life, timing is everything.
At the most recent Downtown Parking Forum, Finance Committee Chair Kay Moran pointed out four expensive municipal major building projects are already in the hopper -- new Fire Station and DPW building, expanded renovated Jones Library and Wildwood School -- so any proposed parking structure darn well better be self supporting.
Another strain on the system is meter feeders who take up prime spots for a full eight hours, or folks like the "top ten" scofflaws who forget to feed the meter and then forgets to pay the fines. Take #1 for instance, with an astounding $18,330 owed.
Downtown business owner gets "the boot", pays the $690 in fines within the hour
Yes, you would think a business owner would not park so near his business preferring to leave that prime spot open for, you know, paying customers. And you would also wonder how the Hell he could rack up $18,330 in parking violations.
Or why the town didn't keep the boot on until those monies (owed from another vehicle) were paid, although I'm told the town had him sign an installment agreement to start making payments. If not, the Select Board could fail to renew his liquor license.
Although, lately, the Town Manager and Select Board have been a tad fawning with the downtown liquor establishments, probably not wanting to fan the flames of an "anti business" reputation that has been smouldering for over a generation.
Just one day after the March 23 booting of the pick up truck, he earned two more tickets in the downtown:
Yet when the Lord Jeff Inn requests meters be set aside for guests of a wedding reception, they pay $5 per meter bagged.
Meters reserved 3/24 Boltwood Ave for Lord Jeff wedding reception @ $5/bag
And don't give him/her a free parking pass until they figure it out!
$40.00 an hour?
Town Hall SEIU payscale steps 1 thru step 10
When my son worked at the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, they were regularly given several dozen free parking passes to give to chamber members. This was 2007. I wonder if they are still getting them?
ReplyDeleteAlso, we've always parked at the college lots, since the 1960s, and never had a problem
Hi Larry
ReplyDeleteGood article.
The numbers don't add up though.
Town Manager's office reported that they issue 14 passes. But, you counted 26 passes on a random Friday. Which number is right?
Mine.
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ReplyDeleteIt is time for the Town to change the "Boot Policy" to include these scofflaws. I believe that in the past a court order for the owner of the vehicle could be obtained to force payment.
If you are late in paying a bill for excise tax the block renewal of your license or motor vehicle registration.
Seem's like the town is allowing a special treatment to these violators.
There are plenty of places to park for free downtown. In the People's Bank lot, BOA lot (even with their parking lot monitor Nazi who is usually asleep or not paying attention in her car). At the other end the whole lot near the Pub, Olde Town Tavern, and Laundry-mat always has open spots, no meters and no monitoring.
ReplyDeleteYes the town owns about 538 public spaces while the private sector has 1,159.
ReplyDeleteWhy not disclose the name of this anonymous "downtown business owner" who is refusing to pay his debts?
ReplyDeleteWhat does the local driving school pay the town to use several parking spaces near Kendrick Park for their parallel (close enough) parking teaching?
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing that would be zero.
ReplyDeleteSorry, but practicing parking is not the same as parking and leaving your vehicle. unattended.
ReplyDeleteAs Yogi Berra said, "The place is so crowded no one goes there anymore."
ReplyDeleteAmherst need more parking!
If residents really want more parking, they are going to have to pay attention to Town Meeting where the opposition to any new parking is very well organized (and overrepresented).
ReplyDeleteAnd voters just returned several staunch parking opponents to 3 year terms. Do we think they knew what they were doing?
The malls do not charge for parking.
ReplyDeleteJust saying.
Why don't you all take the venerable Helen Berg's suggestion and simply close all downtown streets to vehicular traffic? There, solved your problem. No more parking issues. No more driving issues, either.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Helen "Iceberg" Berg, has she once returned to the public forum since her unintentionally humorous run for SB? What about "Moneybags" Boothroyd? Are they still contributing to the common good?
Anon 3:11 pm
ReplyDeletePlease don't wish these things on us. If you watch Town Meeting, you know we have enough problems on two legs to go around.
People's yelled at my friend's son for parking in their lot.
ReplyDeleteHe is a customer and was going to the bank!
Let people park as long as they want, as long as they are willing to pay. Increase meter rates till space is made.
ReplyDeleteReinvest additional revenue in the district. Proper parking policy AND transparency can go a long way to improving the area with minimal effort.
Florence Savings doesn't yell at you and is a much nicer bank.
ReplyDeleteWe could fund the new parking garage construction just on that one business owners parking fines.
ReplyDeleteWe don't need a new garage: there are plenty of spaces (as long as folks are willing to walk a block). We need to price parking according to demand, and we must insure that employees and (especially!) business owners aren't feeding meters (or starving meters and scoffing at fines). We also need to encourage more carpooling, bus-riding and people-power too (walking and biking). I know a couple former Select Board members who rarely (almost never?) used their parking passes - and they parked right outside Town Hall - at the bike racks! What we really need is more and better covered bike parking in Amherst Center, starting with those very same racks….
ReplyDeleteAnd should we charge for that covered bike parking too? Seems like there ought to be a premium if there is going to be a roof. And the racks should be top notch.
ReplyDeleteWe don't need a new parking garage.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, the bicycling around town is best in February. We should insist that everyone, especially the elderly, should get on their bikes, four seasons of the year.
We don't need a parking garage, just more bicycle lanes.
The banner across South Pleasant Street near the Common should read: "Amherst: the Beijing of America".
@9:44: Yes, it would be fair to charge a small fee for covered bike parking.
ReplyDelete@5:51: No, we don't force people to ride buses (or bikes) - and nobody is suggesting that (except you).
Lol. Good one!
ReplyDeleteI didn't buy a car to ride a bike. I'm gonna drive a car. You go right ahead and ride a bike. More power to ya.
ReplyDeleteI work in downtown amherst. I work often times more than an 8 hour shift, which is the limit in the most generous town lot. The blue "permit" spots are impossible to find in a timely fashion (i.e.at least 20 minutes of circling.) I have, on HUNDREDS of occasions, paid for 8 hours of parking and still received a ticket for going over the 8 hr limit. I would LOVE to have a 9-5 job. I do not. Should I have to pay 50 cents an hour plus a $10 ticket? MORE PARKING PLEASE!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat Article BTW
ReplyDelete