Fines For Parking Tickets In Boston Just Went Up: What To Know

BOSTON, MA — It was nice while it lasted, folks. Remember the days of $40 ticket if you parked in the residential parking side of the street? That will soon be $60. For those of you who are a meter maid magnet for as soon as you overstay your meter by a minute: Starting Monday, July 2, that fine, too, will jump from $25 to $40.

Walsh's administration choose 11 of the most commonly complained about and frequently violated types of parking violations -- from double parking to expired meters -- and adjusted the ticket fines for them and also discourage folks from doing it again. Oh, and the fine hike is expected to generate enough revenue, about $5 million, to put the money toward a whole laundry list of transit related projects including protected bike lanes, pedestrian paths and new signals.

Also effective July 2, vehicles parked in violation of the City’s posted overnight street cleaning program, where street cleaning begins at or after midnight and ends no later than 7 a.m., will no longer be towed. However, vehicles parked illegally at these locations will be subject to an increased parking violation fine of $90. Vehicles parked in violation of the daytime street cleaning program will continue to receive parking tickets with a fine of $40 and will continue to be subject to towing by a private contractor - which means a heftier fine on top of that ticket.

“Parking regulations are a crucial component of urban transportation systems and abiding by them helps considerably to keep streets safe, functioning and equitable,” said Boston Transportation Department Commissioner Gina N. Fiandaca in a statement.

Check out the hikes:

• Resident Parking, from $40 to $60
• Overnight Street Cleaning (Ticket But No Tow), from $40 to $90
• Loading Zone, from $55 to $90
• No Parking Zone A, from $55 to $90
• No Parking Zone B, from $25 to $55
• Double Parking Zone A, from $45 to $55
• Double Parking Zone B, from $30 to $35
• No Stopping or Standing, from $75 to $90
• Meter Fee Unpaid, from $25 to $40
• Over Meter Time Limit, from $25 to $40
• Over Posted Time Limit, from $25 to $40

In City of Boston fiscal year 2017, more than 1.3 million parking tickets were issued in Boston. In the first 10 months of fiscal year 2018, more than 33,000 parking enforcement related requests were received through the City’s 311 system, according to city officials.

At least some residents are welcoming the parking violation hike.

"The South End welcomes stronger enforcement measures, including increased fines, as one critical tool to help manage the transportation challenges and the traffic and parking crisis that grows every day in this neighborhood. There is no neighborhood that better illustrates the need to use every tool in the toolbox to begin to address the full range of parking challenges than the South End," South End resident Stephen Fox said in a statement.

Where will all the money go?

As we all know, when money leaves one pocket it goes into another. Officials say revenue generated from the increased parking fines will be invested in the continued implementation of transportation priorities established in Go Boston 2030, the City’s long term transportation plan.

That plan is made up of 58 projects and policies in an effort to create a complete streets design on Boston’s roadways that serves those who travel by foot, car, bike, and MBTA. The revenue generated will also allow for the staffing of 20 positions within BTD.

Here's what else the money will go toward:

• Safety enhancements, including Neighborhood Slow Streets zones and protected bike lanes, and redesigning intersections.
• Creating Boston’s first Transit Team to work with the MBTA to improve public transit. Among other responsibilities, the Transit Team will design exclusive bus lanes and implement traffic signal improvements to benefit mass transit.
• Building a better pedestrian network through the Walkable Streets program.
• Filling missing bike and pedestrian connections to parks and paths through the Green Links Program. Three are currently underway: the Roxbury-Fenway Connector linking the Southwest Corridor and the Emerald Necklace; the Roslindale Gateway Path; and a multi-use path connecting Fenway and Yawkey Stations.
• Advancing the use of adaptive traffic signal technology. BTD is currently working with MassDOT to pilot this technology in the Seaport District.

• Expanding the Performance Parking Program to all City of Boston parking meters.
• Developing policies and programs focused on Transportation Network Companies, electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles.
• Working with local transportation associations and developers to manage privately funded street improvements to directly benefit the surrounding neighborhood
• Dedicating additional revenue toward the Parking Meter Fund to support neighborhood transportation projects.

Previously on Patch:

Parking Fines Are About To Go Up In Boston

Heart Stopping Photo up top by Jenna Fisher/Patch