City Mulls Parking Enforcement Division

Cars parked on Riverside Ave in Medford Square, including a double-parked minivan.

– Allison Goldsberry

Medford is growing and finding a parking spot is becoming increasingly difficult in neighborhoods across the city, from Medford Square to South Medford to the Hillside.

More and more residents are appearing before the Traffic Commission to obtain residential parking for their streets, and there is no shortage of complaints to city councilors about parking headaches and a perceived lack of enforcement.

The City Council recently supported a resolution pushed by Councilor Michael Marks directing the mayor and Police Chief to consider establishing a separate parking enforcement division within the police department.

Councilor Marks believes the parking issue has come to a head. He argued designating residential parking without enforcement gives residents a “false sense of security” and, with two train stations, major bus routes, and the Green Line coming, parking problems in Medford will only continue to get worse.

“I don’t envision the city of Medford being a parking lot for other towns,” said Marks.

Mayor Michael McGlynn agrees a parking enforcement division is something worth looking at and said it is something the city will consider.

McGlynn said he believes parking enforcement in the city is strong and tends to be cyclical, such as during leaf and snow removal.

McGlynn said there are several considerations involved in establishing a parking enforcement division, including collective bargaining with city unions and cost. Though the division would generate revenue from tickets and could eventually be self-sustaining, the question remains on how much it will cost and exactly who will be doing the ticketing.

There is also the unpleasant fact that people will get more tickets.

“People need to understand they will get tickets. It’s simpler said than done…A lot of people won’t be happy with it but it’s the right thing to do,” said Mayor McGlynn.

Officer Harold MacGilvray, President of the Medford Police Patrolman’s Association, said police can’t win because people complain when they get tickets and also when they think more ticketing is needed.

Officer MacGilvray said the union does not support establishing a separate parking enforcement division. He said parking enforcement is strong and what’s really needed is more cops on the street, not a force of civilian meter maids.

“We do a good job of enforcement when we’re properly staffed …We have no problem doing things that are part of our job and that’s [parking enforcement] part of our job,” said MacGilvray.

According to Officer MacGilvray, cuts in staffing over the past five years have led to a decrease in parking enforcement because there are less police dedicated solely to the task.

“Obviously, a 911 call takes precedence over parking enforcement,” said MacGilvray.

Mayor McGlynn said increased parking enforcement is dependant upon the city’s take in local aid, which has been cut over the past few years. After years of free parking, he said residents will soon have to face the reality of paid parking, including the new garage on Governors Avenue and potential meters.

Though several surrounding communities rely on a separate parking enforcement division to generate revenue and to lay down the parking law, having one doesn’t necessarily guarantee an end to all parking woes.

Malden City Councilor Gary Christenson said Malden, which has had a parking enforcement division for years, is grappling with establishing citywide permit parking to ease an ever-present parking crunch.

Christenson said there never seems to be enough parking enforcement staff, and just as in Medford, Malden residents continually petition for resident parking and more and more streets have permit parking. Malden has had to contend with even more cars parking on its streets after Everett established a citywide overnight parking ban two years ago.