UPDATE (August 20, 2024)

It turns out that the TRC responded to the petition on March 15, 2024. Overall, the TRC does not support any proposals listed in the petition for changing the overnight parking ban. Here is the email:

Fri, Mar 15, 9:05 AM

Subject: Overnight Parking Ban–notes

Beth, as requested, please see staff notes below regarding the overnight parking ban.

Enforcement of Current Ban

• The Police Department policy, over at least the last 20 years, has been to only enforce the ban during the winter.
• Enforcement of the overnight parking ban is not intended to be punitive or a revenue generator for the Town.
• The Town lacks a Parking Department.  The Police Department enforces the overnight parking ban as-needed based on staffing levels. 
• Enforcement of the ban is not intended to be discriminatory.  Due in part to a lack of a parking department or dedicated parking enforcement staff, the Police Department often relies on residents reports of vehicles parked overnight and creating public safety issues to investigate.  This also does not necessarily mean a ticket is issued.
• The Police Department do make exceptions if notified in advance of guest parking and other limited extenuating circumstances.

Snow/Emergency Response

• The Department of Public Works endeavors to plow streets from curb-to-curb.  When cars are parked on the street, it limits their ability to do so.
• DPW reports that residential driveway access is impacted when they can’t plow to the curb, and this creates complaints that requires additional staff resources to address.
• The petition submitted did not account for the variety and variability of events that occur.  DPW may pre-treat or salt during events that do not result in snow, for example a rain to quick freeze event.  Although the last few winters have been relatively mild, the more snow on the ground, the harder it is to plow.
• DPW noted the varied topography of the Town, particularly with respect to the number of hills that may require additional or different treatment methods.
• Variability of the weather forecast was noted as were concerns about providing sufficient notice to get vehicles off the street overnight in the event of rapidly changing forecasts.
• Allowing overnight parking during the winter will require that more snow emergencies be declared to keep the streets clear for plowing.  Each snow emergency requires further notifications/communications from staff.
• DPW did report instances where parked vehicles prevented plows from plowing streets. 
• In addition to making plowing operations more difficult, having parked cars on the street increases the potential for plow damage, particularly during long duration storms.
• DPW and public safety respond to emergencies year-round.  DPW recently responded to a downed tree overnight and had difficulty getting down the roadway due to parked cars.  Staff had to knock on doors during the night-time hours and ask residents to move their vehicles.

Equity

• Petition signed by 30 residents.  For context, there are about 8,900 households in Town.
• The overnight parking ban has been in effect since 1936 and most residents are aware of the ban.
• The Jenks and Aberjona lots are available for free overnight parking for residents with insufficient off-street parking.
• To support transit-oriented development, the Select Board adopted a policy allowing up to 25 free Town Center daytime parking permits (with a $10 administration fee) for residents in the Center Business District that do not have parking spaces assigned to their unit.
• Staff feels that issues related to tandem parking are a convenience issue and not an equity or hardship issue.
• Staff noted signage could be installed at the Town boundary noting the parking ban (examples attached).

Other Communities

• Most other surrounding communities have overnight parking bans:
  • Lexington:  Year-round ban, however only enforced during the winter.
  • Arlington:  Year-round overnight parking ban, with limited waivers issued by the Police Department by night.  Pilot program through the Office of the Select Board granting up to 125 overnight parking permits on a first-come first-served basis.  Not valid in a snow emergency.
  • Medford:  Overnight parking restrictions during snow emergencies.  The City has a parking department and many areas have permit parking.
  • Stoneham:  Overnight parking ban from December 1 to April 1.
  • Woburn:  Overnight parking ban on alternating side of the street, November 15 to March 31.
  • Belmont:  Year-round overnight parking ban.
  • Wellesley:  Year-round overnight parking ban.
  • Milton:  Year-round overnight parking ban, with a hardship policy if no parking is available (convenience not a hardship).

Review of Potential Solutions outlined in Petition

• Any plan should be both predictable and simple and not require additional staff resources.

• Convert to winter only ban:  this is essentially the Town’s unofficial policy as it relates to enforcement.  Although there occasionally other weather events (heavy rain, wind storms) that a year-round overnight ban addresses, these are less frequent than during the winter.
• Winter ban with exceptions:  as noted above, the Police Department grants exceptions for overnight visitors and other extenuating circumstances.  The petition references allowing tandem parking to be included as an exception, as noted above this is a convenience issue and not a hardship issue.  An exception program would require additional staff resources and potentially a parking permit program.  Exceptions require increased enforcement to check if vehicles parked on the street have a permit/permission or not.  It’s not clear what the actual exceptions would be.  As noted above, the Town offers free overnight parking in the Jenks and Aberjona lots.  Staff do not support this option.
• Town-wide resident [permit] parking:  The petition notes that this is unnecessary.
• Eliminate the ban completely:  This option creates plowing, public safety, and staffing issues as noted above.  Staff do not support this option.
• For crowded streets, the Town should use more appropriate solutions such as parking on one side of the street and no parking signs where appropriate:  This could increase the number of signs in Town significantly.  Some streets already have parking restrictions.

Matthew Shuman, PE

Town Engineer

Town of Winchester

[end of email]

Comments:

Although the (elected) members of the Select Board are ultimately responsible for making decisions regarding these regulations, they appear to defer to the recommendations of the (unelected) TRC on these matters. The TRC members are also responsible for updating the town’s All Hazard’s Mitigation Plan.

The email was sent to Beth Rudolph, who is the Town Manager since 2022 (also unelected). None of the Select Board Members are copied, and it is unclear if the Select Board received a copy of this email.

Those in the CC are (presumably) the other members of the TRC. These people are:

• Daniel J. O’Connell: Chief of Police for Winchester since 2021
• Frank Batchelor: Winchester Police Safety Officer
• Steven Osborne: Winchester Fire Chief since 2023
• Robert Labossiere: Director of Public Works since 2023
• Herman Taylor: Winchester Town Planner since 2023

After waiting patiently all summer, it’s time to get back to work. This week I sent a follow up letter to the Select Board, and today I’ve emailed the Town Engineer to provide a copy of the TRC’s recommendations that were sent to the Select Board. Once I get a response, I will add that information on this page. In the meantime, here is the public information request:

To: mshuman@winchester.us, Town Engineer

CC: mprior@winchester.us, Select Board Chair

Matt Schuman, Town Engineer

71 Mt. Vernon St.
Winchester, MA 01890

Hi Matt,

I would like to make the following public records request:

Please provide a copy of the TRC Recommendation regarding the Overnight Parking Ban Petition that you sent to the Select Board earlier this year. This is a request under the Massachusetts Public Records Law (M. G. L. Chapter 66, Section 10). 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you!

Jeremy Elliott