Residents, councilors call for review of GLX G-zone parking pilot and appeals process

Councilor Scarpelli on Jan. 20 urged the Medford City Council to ask the administration for a briefing and committee review of the GLX G-zone parking program and the city’s appeals process, saying South Medford residents reported being displaced from their curbside parking and that some appeals are effectively closed to residents.

“The mayor is using traffic and parking as another revenue source,” Councilor Scarpelli said during the discussion, citing multiple constituent complaints about fines, fees and difficulty obtaining relief.

Why it matters: The GLX G-zone parking changes were implemented to manage parking after the Green Line Extension. Councilors said the pilot’s enforcement and permit rules have left some residents — including seniors and hourly workers — with fewer parking options, and that the appeals process may be inaccessible for vulnerable residents.

What happened at the meeting: Councilor Scarpelli described several scenarios from South Medford: nonresident permit holders buying permits then leaving cars parked all day; a senior who left a handicap placard on a dashboard rather than hanging it, appealed promptly but was denied and faced the expense of escalating an appeal to court; and business owners who must buy additional permits in multiple zones when they show properties or move between neighborhoods.

Councilors asked for a meeting with the city’s new parking director, proposed that the matter be heard in Planning and Permitting Committee (or as a committee-of-the-whole item) and asked that the traffic commission be invited because traffic and parking decisions are controlled by that body under a 1957 special act referenced in the discussion.

Formal outcome: Councilor Scarpelli’s resolution asking for a briefing and a review of the parking department and the South Medford G-zone pilot passed; the council directed the matter to Planning & Permitting (and discussed doing a Committee of the Whole with traffic commission members).

Key details and clarifications: - Appeals procedures: Councilors requested a clearer, more humane appeals pathway that allows staff-level review before residents must escalate to court; some residents reported having to pay fees to pursue further appeals on modest fines. - Pilot clarity: Councilors asked the administration to clarify whether nonresident permit buyers may hold permits that limit available resident spaces and to examine permit rules for multi-location businesses. - Traffic commission role: The council noted the traffic commission was established by a special act in 1957 and is the legal decision-maker on many parking questions; the council can make recommendations but not unilaterally override the traffic commission’s determinations.

Who said it (selected): Councilor Scarpelli (detailed constituent examples), Vice President Collins (support and personal experience living in the zone), Councilor Lazaro and Councilor Singh (requested listening sessions and committee review). Members agreed to invite the new parking director and the traffic commission to a committee meeting.

Ending: The council voted to schedule a briefing and committee review with the parking director and other stakeholders; staff and councilors said they will publish clearer guidance on permits and appeals and consider further procedural changes after committee review.