What is the Newton Ballot QUESTION? What does a NO Vote mean?

A NO vote keeps our ban, and ensures our streets remain safe and accessible for all. It preserves on-street parking for visitors and customers of local businesses, and prevents a permanent increase in vehicles blocking residential homes.

A NO vote protects our quality of life and ensures our streets aren't permanent parking lots. Residents needing overnight parking can already get permits to park in municipal lots.

A NO vote is a vote for public safety and responsible use of our shared community spaces.

A NO vote maintains our winter overnight parking ban until a comprehensive parking plan is designed for solutions in all of the varied parts of Newton.

Voting "yes" would repeal the winter overnight parking ban, allowing unlimited overnight parking on our streets, including vehicles from large apartment complexes and dormitories.

A "yes" vote would lead to traffic congestion and make it difficult for emergency vehicles, trash collection, and snowplows to navigate our narrow streets after a storm. Repealing the ban would make it harder for residents to find a parking spot on their own streets and would cause public safety hazards. 

Why vote no on the ballot initiative:

Consequences of approving the repeal of the overnight parking ban:

• People will be able to park cars from 6PM - 8AM weekdays, and all weekend in most areas of the city that are not zoned to prohibit it.

• Residential areas will begin to petition for bans in neighborhoods.  Complicated parking signs will appear in more parts of the city, restricting parking.  Each parking sign represents a cost of hundreds of dollars when factoring in the administrative work of the Traffic Committee, City Council, and DPW to determine where parking restrictions should apply, along with the expenses of manufacturing, installing, and maintaining the signs and their posts  

• Large occupancy buildings with inadequate or expensive parking will have residents parking on neighborhood streets.  The "needed parking" by existing permits will be lowered due to available street parking.

A Responsible Approach to Newton's Parking 

The CURRENT overnight winter parking ban prevents developers from further reducing minimum parking requirements — or eliminating them.  Without a ban a developer can argue that alternative parking on the street is available so they don't need to provide for adequate onsite parking.

The repeal proponents claim problems:
A wholesale repeal of the winter parking ban is not the answer.

Claim: Repealing the winter parking ban will lead to more parked cars calming traffic.

NO, Parked cars may seem to slow traffic, but in winter they create dangerous conditions. Snowbanks push vehicles further into the roadway, narrowing lanes and increasing the risk of head-on collisions. They also block sightlines for pedestrians, forcing children and seniors to step into the street to be seen. Newton already has safer, intentional ways to calm traffic — like speed humps, narrowed intersections, and improved crosswalks. Clear streets are not just calmer; they are safer and more accessible for everyone.

Claim: The winter parking ban is bad for Newton's commercial viability.

NO, The winter ban preserves on-street parking for customers, visitors, and overnight workers. Allowing residents to park overnight on every street througout the winter, will create a city full of parked cars which is far less inviting to visitors and commerce.

Claim: The winter parking ban does not accommodate visitors and home health aides.

NO,  Allowing winter overnight parking for everyone would make it harder, not easier for home health aides, visiting nurses and other essential workers to find parking and to reach homes in snow and ice.  Under the existing policy, overnight permits for street parking can already be obtained easily for caregivers, and  through the Police Department’s website (Parking site) or by calling the “All Night Parking Hotline.” Unsafe streets help no one, least of all vulnerable residents relying on timely care.
 

Claim: The ban encourages removal of trees, lawns, and other green spaces by necessitated by driveway expansions.

NO,  Protecting our green spaces is a community priority and Newton has regulations limiting the amount of pavement and building sizes in order to preserve green spaces and trees.  Our winter overnight parking ban encourages residents to use their own property for parking.  The bigger threat to Newton’s green spaces comes from overdevelopment, not the parking ban.  If households start relying on permanent on-street parking, pressure grows to widen roads, remove trees, lawns and grass along curbs, and shrink sidewalks to fit more cars.

Do you want Students walking to school in the street?

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