Townie outrage as Edwards School limits daytime resident parking in school lot
The Charlestown Patriot-Bridge reports a meeting between residents and city and BPS officials on the issue immediately got off to a bad start when one BPS official basically told residents they were racists who don't want minority kids in their neighborhood.
UPDATE: BPS forwarded this statement:
BPS is not banning residents from parking in the lot. This September BPS posted signs at the Edwards and all other public schools in the city alerting residents that parking is prohibited for non-school staff between 6 am and 6 pm on weekdays. The school also placed fliers on cars of residents parking in the lot in the weeks leading up to towing, which occurred in mid-October. Given that the school begins its day at 7:15 a.m., it is important that staff members and school buses have access to the parking lot. It's also important to note that BPS proposed a compromise at the Edwards in which a section of the lot could be open for resident parking 24 hours a day. BPS is continuing to work with the neighborhood residents and city officials on finding a solution to this issue.
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Comments
Everyone's wrong
The City messaged this terribly, leading up to the meeting and at the meeting itself.
But, no one has a right to park in a city parking lot, especially if it's interfering with kids getting school.
The city messaged it terribly
The city messaged it terribly? The city messaged it by towing 40 cars early in the morning.
Of course the school should reserve adequate parking for staff. Nobody's arguing against that. But, this is a middle school. How would a lack of parking interfere with middle school students getting to to school? These kids too young to drive themselves, and too old that you don't drop them off at the curb.
The article quotes a city official
saying teachers were unable to find parking, making them late for class.
Then ride a bike or take the
Then ride a bike or take the T.
Sounds easy
But not everybody has that option.
really?
In this case the residents are being bullies. Of course they can ride a bike or take the T, but the parking is assigned to the school and the school staff should not have to compete with locals for parking. Unless you think that Eden St residents should share the street parking with teachers?
Do you think it's feasible
Do you think it's feasible and/or reasonable that every single person who works in the city demand their own personal parking space in order to be at work on time? Seriously! Talk about entitlement! The city of Boston simply does not have the physical space to cater to the whims of those driving into the city to work. Why do you think a teacher who works in Charlestown is unable to take public transportation into work? I have walked, taken the bus, taken the subway, carpooled and taken a cab to get to work on time for decades now... it's not rocket science.
My suggestion would be to sell the parking lot, which is highly valuable real estate, and build housing for working class families.
Ride a bike or take the T to
Ride a bike or take the T to work? Why don't the residents ride bikes or take the T and then they don't have to worry about where they park their cars??
Or another thought...it's Charlestown, you get your car towed, just go rob a bank and then you have money to get your car from the tow lot.
Insensitive
If Teachers jobs are not difficult enough. Cut the treachers a break. People made the choice to live where they live, check for parking next time.
Again, how does that affect
Again, how does that affect students being able to get to school?
Or are the teachers at the school also ferrying kids?
Who cares?
It's not the residents lot to park in. It was marked as such, they got towed. Stupid them.
if the teachers can't park
if the teachers can't park their cars, they can't get in the school to teach the kids, duh?
newsflash
The majority of people who work in Boston get to work without parking their car in a free parking lot.
A rule is a rule.
Ok, say your house has a two parking spaces, but you only have car and know this to be a fact; so decide to park my car in your other spot. Would I be in right to park my car in your "private" parking space.
John Hanlon
Sounds like a real winner. What better way to win an argument over parking by calling an entire neighborhood racist!
Sounds like Hanlon needs some
Sounds like Hanlon needs some mandatory diversity training, if not a firing.
The article went on the state
The article went on the state that he apologized for the remark. Have you never said something that you didn't mean out of frustration? John's actually a very good man and cares about the schools and the students. I know him personally and I also had the honor of volunteering for Project DEEP when he was in charge of running that program for students
I get that people say things
I get that people say things out of frustration, but someone who works FOR KIDS and says this in public needs to at least go through mandatory diversity training, if not face other repercussions. As one of the major faces of public schools in Boston, he cannot be allowed to have these slips.
Let infection out
Ok, I agree Hanlon statements were inappropriate for this forum, HOWEVER now some one made the PINK ELEPHANTS visible; why not open discussions on the hidden but real topic matter.
I'd be pissed too
If a bunch of people who live outside my town want to unilaterally roll back something that has been considered a common resource for generations. Especially if the end result is a surplus of empty parking spaces during the day.
Common resource for generations
Similar to the age-old tradition of double parking for a "few" seconds whilst popping into Dunks?
Or any other place, including your friend's house
And leaving your car for a few minutes instead of seconds. O Townies! I love you.
The school can't afford it anymore.
And by the way these people have city jobs and live in Boston. Here in Dorchester the schools don't even let me walk my dog on their property. the school was built in 1932. Although the population is less than it was in Boston back then, about half of the adults living in Boston own a car. Its not the school fault that the city wasn't made for so many cars.
If these people have city
If these people have city jobs and live in Boston, as you say, then they should take advantage of the public transportation system that their taxes help
pay for.
Not always so easy
I live 5 miles from work and it takes me nearly an hour. Public transportation is a great resource, but not always reliable. I wait for a bus. Which is late. Then it doesn't stop because it's full. Ditto with the next bus. I can't reliably get to work on time unless I leave absurdly early.
that job has an employee parking lot
Why should they be bullied out of using it by people that can afford to live in Charlestown?
Depending on where they live,
Depending on where they live, a lot of the people of Charlestown are not the rich ones that live around the Monument. Many are older who have just been in those houses for a long time. There is also a large amount of seniors living in the area and there are a number of projects and low income housing in the neighborhood.
Living in 1 square mile makes a lot of things more difficult since you have a lot fewer places to park and put cars for people.
Sounds like
They could use a parking garage.
(DaR)
There are two on Constitution
There are two on Constitution Road, and an above ground lot there. But again, not everyone has the extra money for that. And I don't know that they rent to people who don't live in the structure above one of them.
Use the Project
Any other time or most times when Charlestown talk about the "projects", the public housing development is spoken in a negative light, however now when it brought as a factor here in these conversation low income factor; you use it as supportive postive factor.
smh at hypocritical usages.
.
.
would that be the same T
would that be the same T system that daily has a breakdown on the Red Line or smoke coming on the Orange Line? Would you take the T to work so people that live near your work can park in your work parking lot?
would you be pissed if you
would you be pissed if you couldn't park in your work parking lot?
"Outside my town?"
Umm... Given that the Boston School Department is part of the City of Boston government, and given that Boston has a residency requirement for city employees, I'm suspecting that very few of the people responsible for the decision actually live "outside of my town,"
.... that is, of course, unless you subscribe to the Charlestown fantasy (also apparently subscribed to in Southie by Jimmy Kelly etc.) that you should obtain all the benefits that are paid for by City of Boston taxpayers, but that "Boston" should not mess with "your town."
I thought the teachers union
I thought the teachers union was exempt from residency requirements?
Okay, then
Volunteer to spend ONE DAY teaching the local Junior High kids.
I dare ya.
What does that have to do
What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?
Seriously, what are you going on about?
I am surprised to find that's true
All the teachers I know live in the city.
We go through this all the
We go through this all the time, but folks still don't get it. It's a STATE law that teachers are not required to live in the town where they teach. End of story.
FAIL
Your missing the points
Not everyone has been removing their cars on time, hence causing the problems. Secondly, if you make this exception for townies, you are going to have to do it for all school parking lots; and this is not feasible.
townies
are the least deserving of a sense of exceptionalism out of any group of people i've ever encountered lmfao
Part of the problem ...
At least according to the article, is that people had been parking there for decades, then the city just called in tow trucks without any warning. I'd think anybody would be pissed at that. Starting a meeting with those pissed people by calling them racists right off the bat was just the cherry on top.
cool
that doesn't change one word of what i said, oh, and, if they're from charlestown they are probably racist anyway
That's right. Every person
That's right. Every person that was ever born in any Boston neighborhood is a racist. That's why we are so easy to paint, all you need is one broad brush to cover us all! That being said, all transplants to Boston must be elitist pigs who feel they are better than everyone. How do you like them apples scumbag?
uh
i've lived here my whole life lmao. your opinions on transplants are irrelevant to me.
but your reaction speaks volumes in general
next time i'll put a trigger warning in the subject lest i offend you/hit too close to home
get off the internet
It's turning you into a creep and a bully. You're probably a decent person in your life, just go back to that for a while, whatever you're reading is messing with your head.
Not my problem, really
Not my problem, really
Any way you can dial it back?
You know, count to 10 and all that? We get it, you're a tough guy and all.
literally, no
im expressing my opinions and responding to a person that implied i was a tourist and called me a scumbag.
deal with it.
Keyboard warrior.
Congratulations, you're a troll. Think about that. Your biggest accomplishment yesterday was a moderately successful troll of a local news blog. You are one of the saddest people I've seen in this forum.
maybe
i do troll here sometimes, but i assure you that my opinion of people in charlestown is genuinely very low
but you are a scumbag
I am confused, I thought you were proud of this. I don't know what your opinions are either. All you do is pick on people and pretend its funny.
When was the last time you
When was the last time you wandered around Charlestown? 1970? The neighborhood is not the same as it was when my grandfather worked at the Fuller Brush Company.
Demons
But those racist demons are still there and the are coupled with economic racism.
that does not make it an entitlement.
Obviously they handled it badly. I am not sure why any of the lot is open for resident parking. If they can't handle moving their cars by 6am, then they shouldn't park there.
They should have written a letter and started sticking them in car wipers in July and August. Then close the lot. Allowing people to park there until 6am means that teachers and staff can't come in early. why would you discourage that?
The real change has been that private tow companies are allowed to tow cars off city streets and property. When only city tow trucks could tow you off a city property you could park a lot of places that the city didn't have time to deal with.
I used to park in a tow zone every day in dorchester. I got one ticket (from a Park Ranger?) which have never paid or heard from.
The bigger problem is that Boston wasn't made for this many cars. The last time boston had this many people was 1910. Charlestown is a stupid place to own a car. It has 2 subway stops and several bus routes. It has better public transportation than Beacon Hill, Back Bay or the North End. I personally believe that resident parking stickers should only be allowed for car owners that make less than 120% median income. If you make more you can afford to garage your car or take a limo.
lol
no cars in charlestown unless you make less than 120% median income eh
you know, i'm actually all for it. make it happen and watch how fast it turns into even more of a ghetto
don't lie
Anyone can own a car. But at a certain income, it seems you should be able to afford to pay for a parking space to go with your car. Charlestown is pretty far from ghetto. Finding a parking space in the charlestown projects is easy compared to Eden st.
I just think that rich neighborhoods like Charlestown don't need so much resident parking.
The median home value in
The median home value in Charlestown is $655,000. Far from a ghetto. These people can afford to pay for parking, they are just cheap and entitled. If they don't want to pay for parking they can always take public transportation.
you and i
have, without a doubt, very, very different experiences in charlestown.
Many the people living there
Many the people living there bought before it was so expensive. It also doesn't mean that parking is affordable for them.
Arrogant
Don't be so arrogant as to assume what other people can afford.
ok, please explain
What is the appropriate income for someone to be entitled to have free parking at the local school. If you can afford to own a car but you don't have anywhere to park it legally then you can't afford to own a car.
$0
It's a city resource, it shouldn't be income tested any more than Boston should send wealthy people to their own back yards lest they crowd the public park.
What Boston should do is charge for residential parking permits. Then lobby the legislature to give Boston the authority to charge more than the cost of running the Boston parking program. Then charge more for residential parking.
Don't income test the parking. Charge for it, and use the money wisely.
Charging for permits is
Charging for permits is unfair to poor people. The better way is to take a rich neighborhood and remove residential parking from that area. This would allow nannies, waiters and cleaning people to park close to their work. It would allow small businesses to attract a wider array of customers.
Boston hasn't been this dense since 1910. Boston was at its highest population in 1950. Today one out of every two adults have cars. Boston wasn't built for that. There isn't enough parking for residents. That problem is not going to get better. In the meantime new development and small business suffers.
None of this has anything to do with people feeling entitled to park at a public middle school at any time.
"Charging for permits is
"Charging for permits is unfair to poor people."
It really isn't. Owning a car in a neighborhood like Charlestown is a luxury in and of itself, and providing a place to park it for free imposes a huge cost on the city in the form of opportunity cost on the land required. The fair thing to do would be to cap the number of permits based on the number of spaces and then let people buy and sell them on the open market (like what we do right now for liquor licenses). The money raised could then be used to provide things that the poor actually *need*, like affordable housing.
Lower income means any fee takes a larger % of income
But if you just remove the neighborhood parking from that area you reduce enforcement costs. Businesses have more customers and service people can afford to work in your neighborhood. Parking is the luxury. If you can afford a car, you can afford insurance and parking. Neighborhood parking is bad for Boston. I am only proposing that you remove it in rich neighborhoods.
"Parking is the luxury. If
"Parking is the luxury. If you can afford a car, you can afford insurance and parking."
Exactly. It also displaces other potential uses of the road and makes housing cost more. It should be reduced especially in poor neighborhoods.
That is not the point I was making.
Yes, there are lots of places in Boston where street parking should be removed. Plenty of Streets in Dorchester are not wide enough for traffic and parking. There are intersections in poor neighbor hoods that need to put tow zones so that you can see oncoming traffic to make the turns.
The problem with neighborhood parking is that makes rich neighborhoods into private clubs. It should be a near the subway station and perhaps on bus routes, but that's all. Charlestown has great transportation coverage, and so does the North End. Garage parking is relatively cheap in Boston. You can get a nights and weekend spot in Charlestown for less than $150.
Why should the city reserve a parking space near your house, when tourists and customers could bring money to local businesses? What about all the service employees trying to make ends meet? Have you seen all of the people sitting in their cars in the south end? Uber and Lyft waiting for a fare.
Limited Permit Parking
Don't forget the ability to provide permitted parking during certain hours - for example from 6 PM to 6 AM or something with 2 hour parking otherwise. There are a number of neighborhoods that have this allowing for customers to park during the day and residents to park at night.
Intersections are taken care of by eliminating the parking near the corners.
Your arguments are confusing in that you say a parking permit fee is difficult on 'poor people' and in the same breath suggest that garage parking is cheap at $150/month. That sounds like it would be a strain on 'poor people' as well.
garage parking is an option
The goal is for less people to have cars. All of the rich neighborhoods have 100% neighborhood parking. Those signs you are describing are 2 hour parking or neighborhood sticker.
Poor neighborhoods have very scarce neighborhood parking. This was not invented to turn BackBay, Beacon Hill, Charlestown and Southie into exclusive clubs. But that is what is has turned into. If all neighborhood parking was removed, then less people living in Boston would own cars. And normal people could enjoy Boston. Service professionals could work in Boston. Local restaurants could employ enough wait staff to open on Sundays.
Some neighborhood parking is not harmful, but when rich neighborhoods like Charlestown think it is ok threaten a local school with voting yes on 2 so they can keep parking in the school lot all winter it is out of control.
The downside
is that some of us live in Boston but work in the suburbs.
My husband and I have 1 car and right now he drops me off at my place of employment and then heads out to the suburbs which is only sort of covered by public transportation. The Pro to this is that we only have one car. The Con is that I may have times where I have to go in for overnight construction. When that happens, one of us will have a rough time getting to work, depending upon the timing for either of us (me for late night public transportation or him for getting out to his work in the morning - unless there is a juggle of schedules). Or we get a second car.
Neither of us are in the service industry. I think the situation is more nuanced and blanket statements don't make sense. And until public transportation gets better, having cars in the city will only get worse.
That's why it's a "goal." Of
That's why it's a "goal." Of course there are many people who have a need for a car in spite of living in the city. The point is to make sure that I--the non-car owner--do not end up subsidizing your car-owning lifestyle. Free parking permits, minimum parking requirements, $1.25 an hour parking meters are all ways that the city gives away valuable land for storing private cars. If you need to own a car in the city, that's fine, but my tax dollars shouldn't be helping you do it, you should have to pay the full cost yourself (and that's just storage costs, we haven't even gotten to things like pollution, the cost of dealing with maimed bicycles and pedestrians, lost opportunity cost for all of the space devoted to roads that could be devoted to housing and businesses, etc.).
Purposeful Implication?
Did you mean to imply I don't pay taxes?
of course you pay taxes
But not enough to entitle you to restrict parking on the public street in front of your home.
We both pay about the same
We both pay about the same taxes (probably), but you own a car and I don't, so you should be paying more in order to cover that cost, otherwise I'm subsidizing you. Does that make sense?
No one is taking away your car.
Removing neighborhood parking from rich neighborhoods will just make it more challenging to find a space. You seem to have options. It's better for the economy and your services will be cheaper because employees and customers can afford to come there.
Ok the first part was for a BBQ this is for erhot
A lot of money earned in parking enforcement is eaten up by payroll and admin. Removing neighborhood parking from rich neighborhoods is a simpler solution. Increasing meter prices and coverage can help too.
Definition
Before you even start there will have to be a definition of 'Rich Neighborhood'. Neighborhoods are fluid, so there has to be something in place when a neighborhood becomes 'Not Rich'.
Adam, I would have expected
Adam, I would have expected you to read the article.
"Hanlon said the policy just began because the Edwards School was one of the last to roll out the policy in the city. School officials said they put fliers on cars during the first weeks of school, held off towing until October and put up permanent signs announcing the new policy recently"
No warning?
Do the residents need individual telegrams?
If they had to tow a handful
If they had to tow a handful of cars on the first day of enforcement, then that suggests they did a good job of flyering. Towing 40 cars suggests something was very wrong with the flyers and signage.
It suggests 40 entitled
It suggests 40 entitled massholes actually
No, it suggests people doing
No, it suggests people doing something that they had been allowed to do for decades until suddenly it was changed without much notice and there are few other options for people who used the parking lot.
This has nothing to do with your stereotype of locals.
You can make fun of any state's locals. There are transplants that do it because they move here for work and find it hard to adjust.
Signs and flyers is not much
Signs and flyers is not much notice?
parking in school lots
Why the f should employees take the T just so residents can park their cars?!??! And there was notice, this was not done without warning.
What if a teacher has to drop off their child at day care on their way to work?!??! They're supposed to park to take the T so neighbors can have a place to park?!? Really? Talk about entitlement!
---
Why don't you go ahead and tell us your definition of the word ' Townie ' ?
Nope, this is about a parking
Nope, this is about a parking situation that had been in place for decades being changed very quickly. It could have been handled better.
If there were flyers
on cars at the beginning of the school year, that's fair warning. You are opting to take a chance on being towed thereafter.
Yes, yes there were
Know how I know? I picked up several of them that had either blown loose or been tossed aside when I commuted through and needed to wait for a cop to help a construction vehicle turn.
Something that has been
Something that has been practice for decades could use even more communication when there's already a parking shortage.
Really?
A flyer on your car isn't enough? Flyers on poles aren't enough?
I guess if you think that reality doesn't apply to you, or rules, you might think that.
Did they need to rent a flashing sign that said THIS MEANS YOU!!!!! and WE REALLY MEAN IT THIS TIME!!!!
"We can’t allow for cars
"We can’t allow for cars parked in private property owned by the City of Boston."
I know what he's trying to say, but he's saying and doing everything all wrong.
That turn of phrase ground my gears, too.
"private property" my ass. Someone's got an attitude problem, and it isn't the residents.
Letter to the editor
This letter-to-the-editor is pure gold - especially the fact that he ties in the charter school vote.
http://charlestownbridge.com/2016/11/04/letter-to-the-editor-34/
These administrators are
These administrators are supposed to make the teachers that work for them come on time. It is bizarre that they have to choose between "community relations" and letting their employees use parking spaces that were created for them.
City Lots are not public parking
One of the problems is that city buildings that have some area for parking have been turning a blind eye to people using their areas as a matter of community relations but in some areas this has reached the level of being a problem.
Case example, some neighborhood people are parking their cars in the lot at Healy Field overnight in Roslindale. If the cars are vandalized they seek to blame the city, when in fact no overnight parking is allowed. There is a gate there that can be closed but the swimming pool opens early (5:30 am) and often they have pool users waiting in their cars when the staff arrives at zero-dark-thirty.
During the Winter of 2015, some people simply parked there and left the cars for several weeks depriving pool users of parking, which in turn meant they could not use the facility, nor could the city adequately plow. Eventually a couple of the cars were deemed abandoned and towed. Community relations reached its limit.
I don't know of any city building or property that "officially" allows overnight parking or casual daytime parking unless you are on business with that building.
I dunno.
You have to dig awfully deep to listen to that and come away with "BPS dude accuses entire neighborhood of being unapologetic racists." I read it as "BPS accuses townies of acting like townies," which might still ruffle feathers, but isn't a real cassus belli.
Also, just because you've been freeloading off the city's public resources for decades doesn't mean you're entitled to keep doing it forever. If you want free parking, go move somewhere that comes with a driveway. If you want to park in a municipal parking lot, either pay for it or follow their rules and get out by 6AM so teachers can park there.
I lived in this neighborhood
I lived in this neighborhood for 5 years and only parked in the school lot if it was my only hope. This is going to be a huge stress on the already limited parking in the neighborhood. We're talking over a hundred cars shoved into every nook and crany of that lot on a friday night..most were residents, not visitors. People are going to have to really assess if they NEED a car because street parking is not happening anywhere any day of the week after this.
how about you?
Do you really need a car? just as an example-not judging
nope
nope
Many do since the
Many do since the alternatives don't get them to their jobs or errands.
Feature, not a bug
That is a feature, not a bug.
Only if there's viable
Only if there's viable alternatives.
Which there are. To name a
Which there are. To name a few:
- Pay the actual market price (god forbid) to store your car in a private lot or garage
- Sell the car and take the train
Nah
The train is not always viable.
Fix public transportation.
It is a truth universally acknowledged
...that all school parking lots are total shitshows. There's always parents who drive in at high speeds, parking blocking everyone else, driving around waiting cars to get to the front of the pick-up line, etc...
and that's without local residents getting involved.
According to the article,
According to the article, teachers were complaining that they had to drive around and around the neighborhood looking for parking because sometimes when they'd drive to to work, the school lot was already full. Typically anyone who works in the city who isn't upper management doesn't have the luxury of using a parking lot EVER. That's why most of us take public transportation. Hello, this isn't the Burlington Mall; this is a neighborhood school in Charlestown! If I was regularly late to work and whined to my boss that it was because I couldn't find parking yet couldn't be bothered to take the T then I would be fired.
Yea...blame the teachers.
Yea...blame the teachers. This parking lot exists specifically for the parking of staff and the safe loading and unloading of buses. Sometimes the neighborhood and the school were able to work in harmony but clearly this is no longer the case.
Ok pal
So by your logic, if I have an off street spot at home and some random car parks in it, i have no right to complain or have the car towed because many neighbors don't have the luxury of parking in the driveway EVER?
Huh? When I drive, I find a
Huh? When I drive, I find a legal resident spot, as I have a residential parking sticker. Just because someone parks on the block I Iive on, does not mean I get pissed off because I think I'm entitled to it unlike yourself. I drive around and around and park however far away it takes for me to find a legal spot and I don't bitch and moan about it because that's part of the deal I chose when I moved to Boston 15 years ago. Perhaps you are unfamiliar with living in a city so this is a shock to your fragile self. Furthermore, I do not think I am ENTITLED to parking in a free parking lot at my place of employment in this densely packed city of ours. Hence, I walk or take the bus. It's really not thag big of a deal. You'll get used to it, suburbanite... or you'll move back home with your parents.
Are we even talking about the same thing?
This isn't a parking on the street issue, it's a parking lot issue. Regardless of where you happen to work, this school has a parking lot for teachers to park in. If the spots are filled with cars that don't belong to teachers then they should be towed. Pretty simple. It's the neighbors who are the entitled ones in this scenario.
what if your work had a
what if your work had a parking lot that was full of the neighbors cars?
another thing...why are the residents' cars there during the day time, don't they work?
Wait these people felt
Wait these people felt entitled to park in a private lot during the work day?
Because they happened to live nearby?
AHAHAHAHAHAHA
Destroying the property
I'm often coming by at a time of the evening when the lot is filling up. People drive on the sidewalks and over curbs and ramps rather than use the proper entrances. I have seen people dump their trash out and walk off, and otherwise act as though they expect the servants to clean up after them.
I can see why they want to shut this down. Abuse your privileges and everyone will lose them.
One more case for early morning MBTA service
My sister-in-law is a teacher. She often needs to be on campus between 6 and 6:30 a.m. Unreliable public transit that starts at 5:24 a.m. doesn't help (in fact, it's useless).
But we can just keep using the same red herring argument about how much it costs to transport each "drunk college kid" after midnight as the reason that the T can't operate 24 hours. So much for all those airport and hospital workers. Oh, and teachers.
There's a reason that there are too many cars in Boston.
Airport workers actually get
Airport workers actually get overnight buses. Just them though.
03:50 AM from Dudley via Andrew
04:20 AM from Dudley via Andrew
http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/routes/?route=171&direction=O...
BPS response and a headline change
I've added in a statement from BPS on the issue and changed the headline because the old one made it sound like they were banning all non-school parking, while it was daytime parking and they proposed letting some people still park there during the day.
Seems like the school was
Seems like the school was being nice and letting residents park there in off-hours, but reiterating that they need those spots during the hours the school is occupied. Considering there's school parking lots all over the Boston area that are permanently off-limits to non-school vehicles, I think this is a reasonable compromise.
Parking issue for BPS staff
I'm an itinerant teacher in BPS. My colleagues and I provide specialized instruction to children with low incidence disabilities (visual impairment, hearing impairment,etc) throughout the city. Some of us travel to 8 or more schools in a week. (Children with special needs are throughout the system in specialized programs or inclusion schools). Some days i go to 3 or 4 schools. Imagine trying to find parking in the North End or Charlestown. We have full caseloads and must get in and out of schools quickly. So, lot parking for staff is important, if at all possible. Sometimes we spend 15 minutes looking for a space, hoping not to get towed, when we should/want to be working with students and staff.
Absolutely, I think that you
Absolutely, I think that you should have a reserved spot in the parking lot for a position in which you need to move your car frequently. Your car is
a necessity for your teaching position and you should not be late because another teacher or resident takes your spot.
I'm not even a little bit
I'm not even a little bit joking here when I ask: Have you tried doing this by bicycle? It's a little more work of course and you have to bundle up in the winter, but on the flip side it's extremely reliable and once you factor in that time you spend looking for parking it's also generally faster.
Great idea...but not so practical
Not all the teachers live in Boston, and not everyone is of the age/fitness to make this work. Also, we often bring bulky equipment and materials for working with students, as well as evaluations. The car of an itinerant is office, filing cabinet, storage closet and, often, where we eat lunch on the way to the next school. The life of an itinerant is rather crazy, but rewarding.
This is going to be the
This is going to be the standard for BPS parking lots. The school I work at in Dorchester had no signage for parking until two months ago.
Once the snow hits our school and parking is limited due to snow mounds it's incredibly hard for staff to find street parking due to claimed spots.
Staff having parking for 12 hours and neighbors having it for 12 hours seems fair.
fair?
The parking belongs to the school. Why should the neighbors be entitled to any share?
If there is going to a rule about parking there at night then they should rent it and raise money for the school. You would have to have an insurance rider, but maybe then people would appreciate it
Completely Unfair, But ...
This is completely unfair, but who said life is fair?
One of the best selling business books of all time is "In Search of Excellence". It's about setting high standards, and being obsessive in doing so. A famous vignette involves an airline passenger flipping down the tray table and seeing a coffee stain. The passenger remarks "I bet they maintain the engines in the same sloppy way".
This situation was handled terribly by the BPS. Is it fair to infer something about their ability to manage the schools? No, but ...
I read a book one time too
It was called 'Thidwicke the Big-Hearted Moose' and it was all about how a bunch of whiners got mad when they were called out on their freeloading ways and after insisted they had ownership rights based on a favor done for them.
Shed the antlers
I guess selling off the parking lot for development would be like Thidwicke shedding his antlers.
It sounds the residents were
It sounds the residents were given appropriate notice. It they expected the school to negotiate with them at this meeting. They are angry to lose the parking even though still seem to have access to the lot. They would have been dissatisfied with any change.
Unfortunately this doesn't
Unfortunately this doesn't bode well for the school's relationship with the local community.
Relationships are reciprocal
The "community" wasn't doing their share.
WHICH COLOR ELEPHANTS ARE IN YOUR HOUSE TOWNIES
mmmmmmmmm, race relations in Charlestown, is this same as the PINK ELEPHANTS IN THE FRONT ROOM, KITCHEN, LIVING ROOM, BATHROOM, KIDS ROOM.
Another update
This followup goes into detail about the events:
http://charlestownbridge.com/2016/12/02/e-mails-show-early-coordination-...