Candidates back resident-first parking steps, placards and shuttle expansion for October crowds

At the forum, candidates addressed chronic downtown parking pressure during October events and recommended measures intended to prioritize residents while preserving business activity. Several candidates supported restoring a paper visitor placard system; Cindy Jerslow said she has “been still trying to advocate to get that placard back,” arguing the online-only system is cumbersome for visitors. Walter Morel proposed giving one placard per house and extending resident parking periods through mid-November.

Andrew Smith suggested better communication about existing resident options in parking apps and retrofitting excess parking in some buildings to green space or leased spots. William LeGault urged a renewed public conversation about the aging Museum Place/“Witch City” garage site and the Church Street redevelopment, calling that project central to long-term parking planning. Candidates also proposed moving bus parking to Shetland Park and charging higher bus fees; Morel suggested charging $500 per bus as a deterrent and revenue source.

Most candidates favored shuttles and alternative transportation as immediate mitigations. John Newhall and others recommended expanding satellite shuttle programs used during event weekends and said increased off-season distribution of visitors could ease peak pressure. No candidate advocated removing resident priority; the consensus was to prioritize resident parking and explore both short-term operational fixes and long-term redevelopment of major parking facilities.