Whether he realizes it or not, Mayor Marty Walsh may have solved Southie’s long-time parking crisis. Back to back blizzards plus additional snowstorms sprinkled on for good measure, left driving on South Boston streets virtually impossible until the city of Boston came up with the one-way street idea. It was so simple yet so perfect. All the numbered streets would go either east or west depending on the number. No more stress turning onto a street to find yourself head to head with another car in a Southie standoff as to who was going to back up. The numbered streets are now easy streets.
It dawned on us driving the newly deemed one-ways, “What if these streets were made one-way forever?” To be honest, when the streets are two-way, it’s not like you can cruise down them comfortably without a care in the world. They are pretty tight and you if you add to the mix a double-parked car – or worse people double-parking like jerks on both sides of the street – they are tough to navigate. So why not make them one-way? If we make the streets one-way, maybe we change the parking from parallel to angled parking? That would double if not triple parking on blocks where applicable.
We encourage the mayor and the city of Boston make the bold move on April 1st. April 1st is date for one-ways to return to the original two-ways. We say, April 1st is the day they become one-way permanently! Then send out the troops to start adding angled parking lines. Let’s do this! On the other hand if this ends up being a huge mistake, Marty can always say it was an April Fool’s joke.
To the naysayers – it wasn’t that long ago that streets like M Street and K Street were two-way. We blew your mind, right? Yes, two-way. Today, that just seems ridiculous.
Take our poll: https://caughtinsouthie.com/poll/would-you-temporary-winter-2015-implemented-one-ways-stay-permanent
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I completely agree! There will need to be minor changes to better the flow of traffic but other than that I say we should present this to the Mayor!
I strongly agree with this premise. I've been hoping for angled parking for years. This study does a fantastic job of breaking down the numbers and benefits: http://urbanlandscapes.info/2011/02/28/parking-on-the-street-types-of-street-parking/
The main issue in Southie isn't safety or traffic, it's number of spaces. According to this report, a typical 300 foot block can hold ~45 parallel parking spots. That same block can hold over 100 angled parking spots. If safety is an issue, back-in-angled parking greatly reduces the opportunity for concerns (as you have full visibility pulling out of a spot).
We believe the streets should be one way permanently.it would make driving a lot easier and and you wouldn't have to worry about a car parked on the wrong side of street pulling out.It seems the people had adjusted to it quickly and are used to it already.I never expected it to go this smooth.Lets hope we can convince City Hall to keep the this way.Rember When all the alphabetical streets were two way.It made driving a lot easier.
No
I recall a woman at Bill Linehan's community meeting about parking changes last summer suggesting this same idea because she experienced solving a parking issue in San Francisco. Caught In Southie – can you research this?
Great idea keep streets one way and angle park. Hadicap spots on ends and next to driveways. Now if you can only help the T.
The mayor should also take a look at linden street( Adams street side) in dorchester and make it a one way!!! So many accident and frustrations!
Thats a great idea would deff work out get on it
AGREED!!!!
Diagonal parking is a great idea and would solve two problems. It would increase the amount of available parking spaces and we all know the Yuppies have a difficult time parallel parking. No more having the girlfriend standing outside of the car yelling directions to the driver.
One the first day of the new rules, we conducted a one-way street survey and received a great response rate, with 84 total! The answers represent some strong opinions for/against, with relatively few neutral responses. (This is Southie, after all.) Here's the data on what people had to say:
Strongly Disagree—5, Disagree—2, Neutral—4, Agree—30, Strongly Agree—43
Strongly Disagree—7, Disagree—3, Neutral—12, Agree—31, Strongly Agree—31
Strongly Disagree—38, Disagree—25, Neutral—12, Agree—5, Strongly Agree—4
Strongly Disagree—13, Disagree—15, Neutral—12, Agree—14, Strongly Agree—30
Yes please!
I have seen people basically ignoring the new one way street rule. No one is enforcing it so no one cares. They just want to get to April 1st so they don't have to worry about it anymore.
Excellent idea! Parking in Southie is one of the worst in the city. It makes it much more difficult for outside residents to visit. If we want Southie to turn into an area which pulls in business from residents of other neighborhoods and folks outside of the city, the parking problem needs to be fixed. It's frustrating for locals, but I have also heard countless times from friends "I don't want to come to Southie to go out to dinner (or go to a bar, or to hang out), the parking is too difficult." Solving the parking issue would allow the stores and restaurants along Broadway and other streets to grow. Not to mention, it would save a lot of headache for residents.
San Fran has this and it works – and it will prevent the greedy residents from double parking to save spots for their roommates etc
Awful, can't wait for them to return to two ways. Telegraph, Marine, and Fourth coming of of Dorchester St. are particularly onerous.
I agree 100% with this proposal. So how do we get it done?
Touchie came up with this idea a long time ago in collaboration with the late City Council President Jimmy Kelly. So please give credit where credit is due.
The idea of keeping the one-way streets has merit, however adding angled parking is a terrible idea. In cities when you add more parking you will simply get more cars. Parking doesn't actaully get any easier because now more people decide to keep a car… or two… or more. This concept has been proven over & over again in virtually every dense city, and Southie is no different. The only way to make parking easier is to get more people to decide they can live without owning a car. So a better idea is to keep the one-way streets, but use the increased road capacity to improve bus routes to run significantly faster and serve more people. When we have reliable MBTA service all over the neighborhood then people will start ditching their cars.
Personally I am opposed to angled parking because I don't want the neighborhood to look like a parking lot. HOWEVER, if it is going to happen, then back in angled parking is 1,000% better than standard angled parking. Visibility is significantly improved, and much safer for pedestrians, cyclists, childrend, & pets.
I do not agree I have to drive around the world now just to get to my mothers once the snow is gone they should go back to two ways
Completely agree and I have been saying this since the 1 way was enacted. As someone above said, reverse angled parking would be the right solution. I know Somerville did this around Union Square around 2008
This is an absolutly brilliant idea
sounds like a great ideabut I doubt it will pass
Absolutely agree! How do we try to keep the streets one way?????
If you only had angled on one side wouldn't it be less parking?? Because you don't have the two sides. Great idea if it creates more spots.
they are ticketing now on streets that were once 2 way now turned to one way if you're parked in the wrong direction..
Terrible idea, takes 10 minutes to get out of southie with all the one-ways and if you have to circle the block for parking?? Takes 5 minutes just to get back to where you started.
The angle parking "trial" at Emerson and third should be fixed before they try it anywhere else. City of Boston please change the direction of the spaces to back in only for safety so drivers can safely enter the street instead of backing into oncoming vehicles and folks walking to their cars!
Why is the Mayor basing his decision on what he reads in caught in Southie!
Read this Marty NEVER voting for you again!!!