Massachusetts

Somerville looks to become second Massachusetts city to get rid of ‘unnecessary’ parking spaces

Published

2 years ago

March 12, 2024

Somerville looks to become second Massachusetts city to get rid of ‘unnecessary’ parking spaces

The Somerville City Council will consider a zoning ordinance to remove “unnecessary parking spaces” built with new developments, a request that proponents say is aimed at improving quality of life and “meeting climate goals.”

Council President Ben Ewen-Campen and Councilor Willie Burnley, Jr., are set to bring forth a resolution highlighting the framework of their proposal to the rest of the council on Thursday. They say they already have support from city administrators and advocates.

“This is about reducing traffic congestion, lowering costs, and meeting climate goals,” Ewen-Campen said Monday in a post on X.

In 2019, the council approved a zoning law that set a maximum number of new parking spaces built in its transit-accessible neighborhoods. The new proposal looks to apply that regulation to “certain large commercial developments” in other parts of the city while doing away with so-called “parking minimums.”

“The elimination of parking minimums in Somerville’s transit-oriented development areas has resulted in a remarkable 62% decrease in the number of parking spaces being built compared to what was previously mandated,” part of the resolution states.

Requiring “large commercial developments” to provide at least a minimum number of parking spaces, Ewen-Campen and Burnley, Jr. say, leads to “increased traffic congestion,” hampers residents’ quality of life, and impedes the city’s climate goals.

In a statement to the Herald on Tuesday, the city said Mayor Katjana Ballantyne believes the proposal “merits serious consideration” as it aligns with Somerville’s transition to cleaner modes of transportation and promotes affordable housing.

The request has caught some pushback in the community after Ewen-Campen posted a document of the resolution on social media Monday.

“Removing spaces causes more congestion with people looking for parking,” someone commented on X. “It also hurts business because many people can not navigate public (transit), and will go elsewhere if they can not park. It will bring more Uber traffic too.”

The city told the Herald that “the administration recognizes many residents currently rely on access to parking.”

“With this in mind, the City is committed to dedicating resources to employing curb use and other strategies that make the best use of limited parking resources,” a spokesperson said, “rather than mandating the creation of new parking.”

Rough 30% of parking spaces in new apartment buildings across Greater Boston are unused, according to undisclosed studies that Ewen-Campen and Burnley, Jr., cited in the resolution.

Cambridge in October 2022 became the first city or town in Massachusetts to eliminate all minimum parking space requirements from a zoning code. In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu signed an amendment earlier that year eliminating parking minimums for affordable housing developments.”

The resolution order in Somerville highlights how “the creation of even a single parking space costs, on average, $50,000 with significantly higher costs in dense metropolitan areas.”

“It is often said that zoning is the most powerful tool that municipalities have in the fight for housing affordability,” Burnley Jr. said in a post on Instagram. “By eliminating parking minimums like Cambridge did years ago, we hope to spur further affordable housing development.”

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Massachusetts

Haverhill man charged in deadly wrong-way crash on Route 128 in Danvers

Published

21 seconds ago

December 16, 2025

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Haverhill man charged in deadly wrong-way crash on Route 128 in Danvers

A Massachusetts man is facing charges after a wrong-way crash that killed a New Hampshire resident last week.

The crash happened around 9:49 p.m. Friday on Route 128 in Danvers. A Hyundai Elantra was traveling in the wrong direction when it hit a Nissan Sentra on the southbound side of the highway.

A passenger of the Sentra, identified as 58-year-old David Mackey of Sandown, New Hampshire, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Elantra’s driver, 42-year-old Jerry Andujar Bodden of Haverhill, is charged with motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation and improper operation of a vehicle, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office said, adding that prosecutors intend to bring more charges for allegedly operating under the influence of alcohol.

Bodden pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Monday in Salem District Court, according to prosecutors.

Judge Randy Chapman ordered Bodden held on $50,000 bail. Conditions include a monitored bar on alcohol consumption, GPS monitoring and home confinement with the exceptions of work, legal and medical appointments, prosecutors said. He is also prohibited from driving while the case is ongoing.

Bodden is due back in court Jan. 21, according to the district attorney’s office.

The highway was shut down for several hours for the investigation but has since reopened.

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Massachusetts

Driver Finds Bullet Lodged In Vehicle After Alleged Road Rage Shooting On Massachusetts Highway, “My Life Could Have Been Taken.”

Published

12 hours ago

December 15, 2025

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Driver Finds Bullet Lodged In Vehicle After Alleged Road Rage Shooting On Massachusetts Highway, “My Life Could Have Been Taken.”

Updated on: December 15, 2025

A Massachusetts man says he narrowly escaped death after an alleged road rage shooting on I-495 and is now speaking publicly in hopes of generating new leads for investigators.

Steven Burns was driving home from work on Nov. 4, coming through Marlboro, when he noticed a white truck tailgating him on the highway.

Bullet lodged in vehicle after alleged road rage shooting on I-495 in Marlboro, Massachusetts/CBS Boston

“It wasn’t until after I pulled over and actually saw that there was a bullet lodged in my B-frame that I said, ‘wow,’” Burns said. “My life could have been taken in an instant over something as dumb as road rage.”

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Massachusetts

Mass. snowfall totals: Which communities got the most snow this weekend?

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

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Mass. snowfall totals: Which communities got the most snow this weekend?

Snow fell across Massachusetts overnight on Saturday and throughout Sunday morning thanks for a fast-moving low pressure system, according to the National Weather Service.

The snowfall is expected to continue into and through the afternoon in many communities, lasting longer in Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket Counties, the weather service said. Southeastern Massachusetts is predicted to see 2 to 4 inches of snow, with cities and towns closest to the coast getting up to 6 inches. A winter weather advisory is set to remain in effect in these counties until 7 p.m. Sunday.

Read more: Mass. weather: Snowy Sunday with dangerous, arctic cold to follow

As of the early afternoon on Sunday, no communities had received more than 4 inches, according to the weather service. Falmouth and Dennis recorded getting the most snow so far at 4 inches as of 3:15 p.m.

Here are the snow totals for Massachusetts as of mid-afternoon on Sunday. This article will be updated throughout the day.