Response from the Mayor's Office

July 15, 2009

Dear Courtney:

Thank you for your email to the Mayor regarding the formation of SPARC. The Mayor has asked me to respond on his behalf, and behalf of the Parking Solutions Task Force.

Since this issue came up earlier this year, it has always been the intent of the City to develop a fine-tuned implementation plan for the policies approved by the Traffic Commission on May 21st. These proposed changes in policy, which were raised repeatedly in ResiStat meetings across the city and highlighted in the recommendations of the special Financial Advisory Committee, were passed and advertised by the Traffic Commission as a first step toward the development of such a plan.

Mayor Curtatone convened the Parking Solutions Task Force (PSTF) – composed of elected officials, representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, local business owners and local parking policy expert Mark Chase – to develop a more detailed implementation model. Their report, which came out last week, calls for a phased plan designed to ensure that the City’s parking policies are implemented with due regard to providing access and convenience for local business workers and customers while preserving a scarce and valuable resource for residents. (The full PSTF report is available here.)

On the basis of the Task Force report, we will be moving ahead in three phases. Mayor Curtatone has asked the Task Force to continue to meet in order to review the impact of all changes as they are implemented, and to help oversee a professional inventory and assessment of the city’s parking spaces, technologies and policies.

I know the Mayor welcomes your interest in our parking management practices. As a member of the Task Force, I know I speak for my colleagues when I say that we would welcome your input. I would be happy to set up a meeting with you and a representative group of Task Force members. Please give me a call so that we can set up a time.

Sincerely,

Jessie Baker

Aide to the Mayor

P.S. Please note that, due to quorum issues and the need to schedule around summer vacation schedules, the meeting of the Traffic Commission originally scheduled for this Thursday has been postponed until 5:00 pm on July 30th. I am confident that we can schedule your discussion with PSTF representatives in advance of that next Commission meeting. -JB