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Malden council adopts order to pursue citywide residential parking program
Summary
The Malden City Council adopted an order directing staff and the traffic/transportation commission to study and coordinate a citywide residential parking program, after members debated enforcement, equity and private-way limits and suspended rules to hear the item tonight.
The Malden City Council adopted an order directing the council to work with the traffic commission to explore a citywide residential parking program. The motion to adopt the order was moved by Councilor Simonelli, seconded by Councilor Taylor, and carried by voice vote.
Councilor Taylor, the sponsor, said the goal is "to streamline the parking throughout the city, enforce the standards to benefit residents, create a net 0 parking department, and also ensure that it's ... easier for residents." President Linehan explained that traffic rules currently live in traffic-commission guidelines rather than city ordinance, so the council is adopting an order "to show the sense of the council" and request that the traffic commission take the issue up.
Several councilors raised practical concerns and priorities. Councilor O'Malley urged review of past parking-review-committee minutes and noted the citywide practice that "if you register your vehicle in the city of Malden, you have the right to park in the city of Malden," describing how enforcement typically focuses on the most egregious cases. Councilor Cica warned that more than 200 "unaccepted streets" (private ways) previously complicated ticketing and described enforcement procedures that document and then ticket vehicles left for several days, citing a multi-day chalking/counting approach.
Councilor McDonald framed a residential permit program as a demand-management tool that can be paired with zoning changes, saying it could reduce reliance on costly parking requirements. Councilor Winslow noted governance changes—replacement of the traffic commission by a transportation commission—and stressed that major changes may need ordinance and transportation-commission review.
After discussion and requests to be added as cosponsors, the council voted to adopt the order and referred next steps to staff and the appropriate transportation/traffic body for further study.
Next steps: the order was adopted and council members said they expect additional study, likely involving transportation staff and the traffic/transportation commission before any ordinance change is proposed.
