Photo: Kyle Bray/WBZ NewsRadio
NEWTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Newton residents will vote Tuesday on whether to repeal the city's seasonal overnight street parking ban nearly 90 years after it was put in place.
The parking ban was put in place in 1936 and lasts annually from Dec. 1 until March 31. It restricts residents from parking in front of homes and public spaces between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.
More than 10,000 signatures were collected to get the question on the ballot. One resident said, "people care about everything in this city, we have very politically active people in Newton."
For those in favor of the ban staying in place, safety seems to be their biggest concern, and some don't see why they would want to get rid of the ban at all.
"There are accidents that happen with snowplows, so it can be very dangerous, and there are a lot of young children walking to school," one said.
"I don't really see an issue with parking, I really don't," another said.
Those who want the ban repealed say it causes issues during these months for those who don't have a driveway or garage for their vehicle.
"It creates a significant difficulty for people who don't have parking," one said. "Let us park where we want," said another.
Whichever way the polling goes, it's expected to get a lot of residents voting.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Chris Fama (@CFamaWBZ) reports.