Tickets taking a toll on North End drivers

By Ben Austin






NORTH END -- As Dennis Rahn walked toward his car on Hanover Street his eyes widened at the sight of a bright orange envelope pinned under his windshield wiper. Shaking his head as he tried to ignore it, he walked to the back of his white pickup to load supplies.


"Even if you bought me a condo here, I wouldn't live here," said the frustrated 39 year old. "You've got to be able to park. You've got to be mobile. There's just nothing you can do about it."


The ticket was one of many on cars on Hanover Street.


Parking here became a problem two decades ago when the neighborhood began to gentrify. Since then, residents, visitors and commercial drivers have complained about the lack of parking.


"In the 80s, when new people started moving to the neighborhood, they brought all their vehicles with them," said Stephen Passacantilli, director of constituent services for City Councilor Salvatore LaMattina. "And the only way to react to the parking problem is to amp up enforcement. But residents need to be careful what they wish for."


The Boston Transportation Department has sought more enforcement to give residents more designated parking spaces. They have also worked with businesses to ensure that loading zones and valet needs are met.





Jeff Pheliuca, a driver for Craft Brewers, said the issue of cars parking illegally in loading zones has improved in recent weeks, but he still has trouble finding a spot to load and unload his truck.


"When I just pulled in right here, there was a car illegally parked in the loading zone," he said as he unloaded his truck. "I'm carrying kegs that are 170 pounds. I want to make my deliveries for the businesses, but what can I do when people illegally park in loading zones? It really is a huge issue to guys like me."


Visitors to the North End don't have it much easier. Along with the lack of open spaces. They have very few options with all the resident parking only signs.


"It's very tough to find a parking spot," said Claude Abacherli, of Acton. "By accident, we found one here. We were driving around a little bit, and we passed here at least twice before we found this one."


One meter maid working on Hanover Street said visitor regulations are part of the problem. She explained that if a visitor parks in a resident only spot, the city will not tow the vehicle.


"If you come from Texas and you park in resident parking in the North End, you get a $40 ticket, but you own that spot for the day," she said. "I think if they started towing the people, they probably wouldn't park there anymore."


With 1.6 million tickets handed out in Boston in 2009, stricter enforcement may not be the best answer. Tracey Ganiatsos, of the Boston Transportation Department, says it is best to subtly encourage visitors to park outside of the area, rather than increasing enforcement.


"The neighborhood is perfect for walking and visitors are encouraged to leave their cars at home, or store them in one of the many private parking facilities nearby, and explore the North End on foot," Ganiatsos said.