Newton parking committee backs flat $25 fee for all residential permits and passes

NEWTON -- May 7, 2025, Newton's Public Safety and Transportation Committee voted six to two in a straw poll to replace the city's free guest parking pass system with a flat $25 charge per item for residential parking stickers and guest passes, capping total cost per household at $100. The committee, which includes Councilor DS as vice chair and heard testimony from transportation coordinator David Kosis and Newton Police Captain Divine, learned that state law caps most parking fines at $25 under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 90, Section 28A, and that the city's current $15 fine for blocking a bus stop is out of compliance with a state-mandated $100 floor. Captain Divine estimated that roughly 70 percent of residents currently come in solely for free guest passes, with about 800 issued this year against only 162 resident stickers. Both pending ordinance docket items, 364-24 on fine levels and 365-24 on permit fees, were held unanimously while new formal docket language is drafted for referral to the Finance Committee. The committee also held a broad parking policy review item tied to a November ballot question on the city's winter overnight parking ban, with members agreeing to reconvene in the fall to examine options for residents without off-street parking.