Walsh: Metered Parking Rate Will Not Increase To $7 Per Hour

Mayor Walsh says other cities, like San Francisco charge more in high-traffic areas. The theory is that cheap meters encourage drivers to remain parked for longer stretches, forcing other cars to clog roads in the hunt for spaces. “I like offering a good deal – but not at the price of stress and gridlock on our streets”.

Walsh’s Chief of the Streets, Chris Osgood, said the city will study the idea over the rest of the year as it also rolls out newer “smart” parking meters capable of variable pricing across Boston.

On Thursday, Walsh presented the failed Olympic quest as a teachable moment that will still pay dividends.

The Mayor’s school construction program resulting from the 10-year Educational and Facilities Master Plan, the goal of which is to ensure that Boston’s school facilities meet student educational needs for the 21st century and beyond.

Mayor Marty Walsh is evaluating a new plan to jack up parking meter fees.

“We are looking at what other cities have done”, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh said following a speech at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce annual breakfast where he announced the idea.

San Francisco first piloted the system in 2011, and officials there said in a 2014 release that average meter rates dropped by 11 cents an hour and there was more available parking. He said the rate hike is aimed at reducing congestion from people circling the block to look for cheaper, on-street parking.

“Around Fenway Park, your meter is $1.25 an hour and your parking lots are making $50 for a game”, Walsh said. Some S.F. drivers have complained about higher prices, but they’ve also reported, according to the Globe, that it took 43 percent less time to find a space in neighborhoods with the demand-responsive parking compared to 13 percent in other areas. But the prices are also met with grumbling from drivers who think on-street parking has become too expensive.