By MICHAEL LAFLEUR, Sun Staff
LOWELL -- Snafus exacerbated by the growing downtown resident population and this year's long, cold winter are prompting city officials to rethink their method for imposing a citywide parking ban during bad snow squalls. “It is not communicated very well,” Lowell Parking Director Chuck Carney said.
The result, he said, is essentially an honor system. Though Lowell residents may park in the city's downtown garages for free during snow emergencies, those who stay beyond the ban are supposed to pay the difference. But Carney said garage-users who claim they parked during the snow ban are never charged for the extra time.
“We're pretty lenient on that,” he said. “It's abused.”
This is particularly true on nights, such as last Friday, when there are events at the Tsongas Arena, Carney said.
City parking attendants normally charge concert-goers $10 to park. Minor-league and college hockey patrons are charged $5. But during snow emergencies, no one is asked to pay, Carney said. “The gate is lifted,” he said. “They just drive in free. There's nothing stopping them going in.”
Nevertheless, there have been reports of some parking attendants attempting to charge the event rate during such periods.
Snow emergencies are declared by Lowell Police Superintendent Edward Davis. Local residents then have six hours to get their cars off city streets or the vehicles could be towed. Bans are lifted when the streets are deemed safe enough. Trouble is, city officials don't actually tell residents when bans are imposed or lifted, and there is nothing to indicate a ban is in effect other than the open gates at garages. What ensues often is confusion and guesswork.
“Obviously, it's not a perfect system,” Assistant City Manager T.J. McCarthy said. “We're looking to change that.”
McCarthy said one inexpensive notification option city officials are considering for next winter involves placing flashing lights at high-profile locations and major intersections throughout the city. They would flash for the duration of the parking ban, he said.
Meanwhile, city garages are rapidly filling up with residents of the new downtown apartment and condominium developments.
Those new residents always park overnight in the garages, which increasingly conflicts with other residents who park in the garages overnight only during snowstorms. “As we fill these garages, we're not going to have room for the snow bans,” Carney said. “We've got to fit the residents in. We've got to take a hard look at just how that's all being done.”
Michael Lafleur's e-mail address is mlafleur@lowellsun.com.
This story appeared in the Lowell Sun on Sunday, March 20, 2005