Police to Crack Down on MBTA Parking in Residential Neighborhoods

Residents concerned about MBTA commuters parking on neighborhood streets are about to get some relief from the town.

Mayor Joseph Sullivan recently announced that the Braintree Police Department has been ordered to begin monitoring the neighborhood streets surrounding the Braintree MBTA station and ticket cars which are routinely parked in residential areas.

“I have heard from many residents, some who live up to a half mile from the MBTA station, that commuter parking has increased significantly this summer creating a public safety hazard in congesting narrow roads,” Sullivan said in a release.

A year-round problem, Sullivan said the issue becomes more problematic during the summer when commuters are more likely to walk to the station from a residential street.

“Residents are noticing that commuters are showing a lack of respect and cooperation. They just park their cars and walk away,” Sullivan said. “Streets are often reduced to one lane and some residents have trouble exiting their driveways.”

The police will monitor these neighborhood streets and any commuter seen leaving or returning to a car will be cited. The police department will use special green “warning” tickets for first offenses, notifying the owner that they are parking in a restricted area.

Residents are encouraged to call the mayor’s office about repeat offenders. If a commuter consistently parks in a residential area despite warnings, Sullivan said he is open to looking at towing vehicles or creating a “residents only” parking program around the MBTA station.