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Hemant Wagh

Apr 13, 2015
10:55

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Hello, Vey Convenient & very economocal public transport would obviate the need for private car. Can different rates be charged for same thing from different persons?

Jamie Bemis

Apr 15, 2015
09:07

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Hi Mark, Thank you for submitting your proposal! Reducing parking availability to incentivize alternative forms of transportation is a great idea. In fact, this is such a high priority in Somerville that it has been integrated into SomerVision, the City's comprehensive plan for 2010-2030. You can view the full plan here: http://www.somervillema.gov/spotlights/comp-plan. Managing parking is cited as a key priority throughout, but page 101 is particularly focused on the issue. To strengthen your proposal, can you build off of SomerVision's ideas around parking and add some specifics to how this might be achieved? For instance, where in the city would you start to restrict parking, or what types of parking would be reduced first? Also, can you share an example of a success story from another city that has addressed this issue? Thanks and I look forward to reading your revised proposal! Jamie

Alan Chan

Apr 17, 2015
09:01

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This idea is incredibly interesting, and would also intermingle well with companies like Uber. Are there any thoughts on working with these companies? A private-public partnership might be more efficient and is a readily available solution. Moreover, what are your thoughts on self-driving cars? They could operate similar to Uber taxis, although with no driver. Would it be possible for the state to fund these cars, and have a pick-up/drop-off service, effectively helping to achieve this plan's goal?

Mark Chase

Jun 11, 2015
03:48

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Hi Jamie, Thanks for your comments. I added some citations for Somervision and took into account your other comments too.

Mark Chase

Jun 11, 2015
03:24

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Greetings Waghm, Yes, it's very common to charge different rates for different types of people. Somerville already has more than 20 different types of permits including those for churches, artists and business people. Interestingly it does not have a low-income-permit.

Mark Chase

Jun 11, 2015
03:47

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Hello Sword-shield-mouse; I changed my proposal to reflect the synergy between charging for parking and new transportation technologies like Lyft, Uber, Relayrides, Bridj etc. I think Somerville will become the best place to launch a transportation company once we start getting serious car-reductions. And in the old school area, the Green Line Extension and Community Path going to Boston are going to really help too.

Kate O.

Jun 14, 2015
12:05

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The proposal is intriguing, and I appreciate the opportunity to ask questions and offer comments. As currently outlined, the plan may raise concerns from anti-poverty and tax policy experts. 1) It is unclear what the limiting principle will be for the permit sales: an auction? First-come, first-serve? Waiting list? Application? Etc. An auction, for example, would be incompatible with the plan to means test/charge on a sliding scale. A first-come, first-serve style, as another example, would likely leave those with the least time, know-how, or savvy without permits -- disproportionately disadvantaging lower-income residents. If you want to reach those populations, the proposal should also avoid creating administrative complexity. 2) The much greater concern is that providing even free mass transit permits to lower-income residents would not be beneficial to them if the current mass transit system does not serve them well. 3) The proposal element to make the proposal revenue neutral, by applying the permit sale revenues to lower property taxes will provoke intense debate. Even in Massachusetts, the issue is tricky and complicated. (See, for example: http://www.itep.org/whopays/states/massachusetts.php.) Just to name one of the discussions that this piece will provoke, various stakeholder groups will ask why use the revenue for this but not that? A temporary reduction in taxes also tends to create political complications later, as the residents get used to the lower rate and resistant to it snapping back up. Because a wider and bigger segment of the population presumably pays property taxes in Somerville, as compared to the segment that would benefit in some way from your proposal, you may find it more difficult than necessary to build and retain political support (i.e., when voters complain to their local elected leaders). To strengthen your proposal from an economic equity perspective, one suggestion would be invest those sales back into the same issue area -- improvements to the mass transport system that are designed to responsibly push people to go carless. When we provide that push, we are also obligated to ensure that the receiving end does not make everyone worse off, particularly those least able to deal with it. As for specific ideas, bus ridership in Somerville is already intense but there are likely service improvements that could be made in that area. As you know, Somerville's master plan - http://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/SomerVisionComprehensivePlanWithAppendicesAdoptedApril-19-2012.pdf - already includes several goals towards improving mass transit options, as well as a handful of ideas for reducing parking usage. I would strongly encourage looking at options to make the bus lines run more frequently and at later hours of the night, as well as create more bus stops. For people who work multiple part-time jobs or at odd times (swing shift, graveyard, etc), availability and protecting time are critical.

Michal Williams

Jul 1, 2015
03:43

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I live in Somerville, and I love your idea. Owning a car should be much more expensive than it is in the USA. Our entire society has been sacrificed to the God of Parking. I submitted a proposal for monetary incentives to not own a car, but yours is much better.