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Council orders trial to restrict Highland Avenue parking; ends Tiger‑permit free‑use trial in Austin Street lot
Summary
After data showing heavy use of Highland Avenue and Austin Street lot since the Cooper Center opened, the council voted to hold a trial restricting north‑side parking on Highland Avenue to residents and to end the trial that allowed Newton North 'Tiger' permits free use of the Austin Street lot; the Highland trial will be monitored and new signs ordered after the appeal period.
Chair David Koses presented data from ten field observations showing high occupancy on Highland Avenue and increasing use of the Austin Street municipal lot after the Cooper Center opened. Staff reported roughly 45 curb spaces on Highland Avenue (about 20 on the north side, 25 on the south) and high OA (older‑adult) sticker use on Highland; the Austin Street lot (124 spaces) had high daytime occupancy (48–90% in observations) and short‑term/long‑term mix complicated enforcement.
Based on those observations staff recommended a trial that would prohibit OA sticker parking on the north side of Highland Avenue and limit north‑side on‑street parking to residents (resident permits or visitor passes), leaving the south side available for Cooper Center visitors. Residents from Highland supported the trial, citing blocked access for emergency and service vehicles when cars park on both sides.
On the related item (TC6323), staff presented utilization of Tiger permit‑reserved areas (Hull Street, Lowell/Claflin, Elmwood Park) and the Austin Street lot. Observations showed underused reserved pockets on Lowell and Elmwood but some capacity on Hull Street being heavily used. Councilor Lucas moved that no action was necessary to continue the Tiger permit trial (NAN), a motion the council adopted 5–0; chair and staff said the practical effect is to end the special free‑use trial for Tiger permits in the Austin Street lot and rely on signed reserved tiger spaces and paid kiosk parking.
For Highland Avenue the council voted to hold TC2126 and institute the trial as described; staff will order new signs (which will replace older 'senior permit' language with 'OA' or updated text), wait seven days for any appeals, and then post signs and monitor the trial over a multi‑month period before returning to council to decide whether to make the change permanent.
