Opis

(also sent as email to info@cityofmalden.org)

I have received several parking tickets since June, all of which were unavoidable. One of the first tickets I received was for parking on Sterns St. and not being a resident of that street. However, there were no available spots on Wyeth or Holyoke, which are the only streets in the neighborhood that do not require permits, so I did not have any other options. Another time I received a ticket for parking on Wyeth Street when it was street cleaning. I would have parked elsewhere but Holyoke and Wyeth have street cleaning on the same days and since the other streets require resident permit parking, I had no other choice. Then this past week, I received a ticket for parking in the middle of the cross walk. While I am guilty of parking somewhat in the cross walk (picture attached), there were no other options for parking. As I’ve stated above, Wyeth and Holyoke are the only two streets in the neighborhood that do not require you to be a resident on that street to park there. Also, my street and the surrounding streets consist of apartment buildings and multi-family homes, making the ratio of cars to available parking spaces extremely numbered.

All this being said, I am writing both to appeal my parking ticket and to discuss solutions going forward. Parking is going to continue to be a problem in these apartment-based neighborhoods and it is not fair to penalize the residents due to restrictions and a lack of available spaces. I did send an appeal for the parking ticket and my fine got reduced to $150, but being that I paid the other two tickets without hesitation and also that there legitimately were no other options, I do not find it fair to be fined again. I also know I am not the only person in the neighborhood who struggles to find parking and has to suffer the consequence when there are no other options. Whether the solution is allowing residents of Wyeth and Holyoke to park on the surrounding streets without penalty, or painting spaces on Wyeth to avoid cars from taking up multiple spaces, or both, there is opportunity to better the living situation for the residents in this area.