February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Each of those chairs, cones, barrels, or crates sitting in that space has an unwritten message on it saying, “Don’t even think of parking here.”
But Boston Mayor Thomas Menino wants to change all that. Citing vandalism and complaints from scores of citizens, Menino last week ordered DPW trucks to remove the items from the roadways 48 hours after a snowstorm.
His plan, however, has been met with fierce resistance by many residents, including two of South Boston city councilors, Jim Kelly and Michael Flaherty.
Per order of the mayor, tons of items were taken off of the streets of South Boston last week following a major storm, but defiant residents put more out when the trucks left. Kelly, known for his feisty defense of hometown traditions, kept his spot secure when a vigilant neighbor replaced the barrel with another one when the city truck moved on down the street.
“The city will find I have more garbage barrels than it has garbage trucks,” he said. “The only place for residents to park around here is on the street, and they have a right to be upset if someone takes their spot.”
Tradition has it that if someone takes a spot marked by an object, he does so at his peril, and he should not be surprised to find his car or truck with flat tires, a broken windshield, or glue in the locks.
“A lot of folks aren’t happy with my decision, but I think it’s a public safety issue,” Menino said. “A lot of vandalism was happening.”
Some callers to radio talk shows last week attributed the crackdown to young professionals who are moving into the increasingly pricey South Boston neighborhoods. Many of these newcomers, long-time residents say, are not pleased with the clutter of objects on their streets.
Kelly and Flaherty have now asked Menino to alter his policy by giving residents a few more days after a snowstorm to keep their spot-savers. They said that by allowing the snow to melt, more space will open up naturally.
Flaherty and several other councilors said last week that the mayor should devote more attention to eliminating snow, rather than spot-savers, from the congested streets of South Boston. Flaherty wants the mayor to explore options such as snow-melting machines used in New York City, which reportedly can melt more than 50 tons of snow an hour.