BOSTON (WBZ) -- Monday marks the first day that parking fines in Boston are increasing.
Parking in a residential zone without a permit jumps from $40 to $60, parking in a loading zone goes from $55 to $90, and parking at an expired meter goes from $25 to $40. Parking during overnight street sweeping increases from $40 to $90, but vehicles will no longer be towed.
The larger fines are expected to raise some $5 million to help finance transportation improvements including sidewalks and bike lanes. It's been a decade since the fines went up in Boston. In proposing the hike, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said there's a goal behind the increases.
"We're trying to encourage people to have good behavior and good manners in driving, so that it can alleviate traffic, it can create more parking, it can help the business districts," Walsh said.
Phil, who drives a truck and is no stranger to the problems with parking in the city, tells WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker that parking in Boston is "miserable." Does he think the fine increases will make it less miserable?
"No, not at all," he said. "People need to get places, they'll park anywhere they need to."
He said one of the problems is that people pretty much park wherever they want.
"Trying to offload, then people park behind you, you can't get your stuff out of your truck," he said. "It is what it is, right?"
Others welcome the fees. Sharon, who rides her bike around the city, says double parking is a huge problem.
"Double parking is really dangerous," she said. "I ride up Columbus Ave, and there's a bike lane specifically on Columbus Ave, and people double-park there all the time."
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Ben Parker reports