East Boston residents fed up with incessant parking tickets during construction road closures
East Boston neighbors can't seem to avoid parking tickets after a litany of road closures makes getting around the neighborhood extremely difficult. Now, they are asking the city to let up.
"Maverick Square was closed. Bremen Street was closed. Sumner Street was closed. Everett Street is closed. Gove Street is closed, and other corners and intersections of Lubec, Cottage, Webster," said an aggravated Anthony White. "BTD (Boston Transportation Department) vehicles circling the neighborhood like hawks."
White has three parking tickets. They were dished out to workers who were doing construction on his property, despite having a work permit. The sign out front says 2-hour visitor parking during the day, but they were given tickets starting at 9:15 a.m. The parking sign out front doesn't even say East Boston, it says Dorchester.
"There was also street cleaning that day that was told to the residents that it wouldn't be done that day, which it was done that day," said White, explaining that this further blocks parking on one half of the roads that are open.
WBZ-TV reached out to the office of City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata. She says that no tickets were given, nor was anyone towed during the street cleaning. She added that in White's particular situation, he was given the tickets because the workers had a work permit but did not possess a street occupancy permit.
Her office continued with this statement regarding the ongoing construction issues in East Boston:
"My office heard from residents about their frustration with the inconvenience caused by the upcoming street repaving work. I elevated these concerns and advocated for street sweeping enforcement to be paused, and we were notified that tagging and towing for street cleaning would be paused while the work is ongoing. I recognize the significant challenges construction can create for residents, which is why I have consistently advocated for greater notification and coordination to minimize impacts on quality of life. For residents who received street cleaning tickets because they were parked outside the designated Jeffries Point boundaries, our office is available to support them with their appeals."
"I tried last week to talk to the city councilor. I called the city and 311," said Nick Moulaison, an Eastie resident and owner of Carmella's Market. "It's construction that has to happen, but you can't just come into a neighborhood like this and say over the next 10 days we are going to pave these streets with no parking on Everett, Sumner, and Webster."
The city sent a letter to neighbors, but it only went out 7 days before the closures began. It was a surprise for residents and business owners alike. The Quiet Few tavern had to close its outdoor dining due to the construction on the road out front.
"There needs to be some sort of construction liaison to say all right, Company A has got a permit for Chelsea Street, and Company B has a permit for Bremen Street. Let's make sure they don't block the roads at the same time," said Moulaison.
A spokesperson for the city of Boston said it "continues to make important investments in East Boston to make sure that the streets, and sidewalks are clean, safe, and beautiful."
"During this work, the Boston Transportation Department is helping maintain safety and access by enforcing posted restrictions and keeping roadways clear for residents, workers and emergency vehicles," the spokesperson said. "We appreciate the patience of East Boston residents and businesses as these important improvements move forward, and we are working to minimize disruptions wherever possible."
