Parking Permit Fees Could Increase, With More Options for Meters

The Board of Selectmen will hold a public hearing regarding proposed parking meter rates, permit parking fees and the installation of additional parking meters in the downtown and Heights areas Jan. 14.

The proposed meter rates are $.25 for 30 minutes, $.10 for 10 minutes and $.5 for 5 minutes. The current parking meter rate is 0.25 per unit. In most locations, that is one hour. 

"The parking meters accept only quarters to purchase time on the meter, so one of the proposed changes is to allow customers to purchase a lesser amount of time with a nickel (5 minutes) or a dime (10 minutes), and a quarter would give (30 minutes)," said assistant Town Manager David Davison. "This parking meter rate structure is similar to Wellesley." 

The current rate for a parking permit is $75 per year, which runs May through April. Downtown businesses may purchase parking permits so that their employees may be able to park in designated spaces in various municipal lots.  The proposed permit parking rates will start at $125 for 2014 and increase to $165 in 2015. The rate will increase another $35 in 2016 for a total of $200.

"The proposed increase to the permit rates has been discussed previously when the Town sought to expand the availability of parking by acquiring property in the downtown," Davison said. "The plan was that part of the cost associated with the increase in the number of parking spaces and the improvements are to be paid with an increase in the parking fee."