Parking ticket hikes mistreat motorists

With a new parking scheme set to punish honest, hardworking people, City Hall is sending yet another message that we are unwelcome.

Mayor Marty Walsh’s plan is comprehensive — “no parking zone” tickets, “double parking” tickets, residential parking violations and parking meter tickets would all jump over 50 percent across the city, and in some cases, more than 100 percent.

The assumption in City Hall is that someone who would park in a no parking zone is a scofflaw. The reality is that sometimes there are no spaces left. If a mother has to pick her child up from a day care on Commercial Street in the North End at 5 p.m. and there are no spaces around, she will need to park illegally, temporarily, and risk getting whacked with a $90 ticket. With day care easily costing $15,000 a year in Massachusetts, that kind of penalty from the city is just inhumane.

The violation hike for double parking will fleece delivery companies big and small whose truck windshields perpetually feature a burst of fluorescent-orange plumage as tickets pile up.

The many folks who might just have to “run into” a store, for a prescription, for example, will do so at the risk of getting tagged for $75, or nearly a day’s pay for anyone making minimum wage.

The fact that parking meter tickets would rise from $25 to $40 is the most egregious aspect of the shakedown. That is a 60 percent increase. What in Boston has gotten 60 percent better or more enjoyable for its inhabitants?

The meter increase will affect everybody daring to visit Boston, because, as the city’s website reads, “At most meters, you can only park in the spot for two hours. After two hours, you need to move your car to another city block.”

These guidelines demonstrate an unrealistic grasp of what the parking experience is like in Boston. If lunch is on Newbury Street and the closest available parking is blocks away on Mass. Ave., it means skipping out before the meal is done, trekking back to the car, hunting for another spot and (assuming you can find one) walking all the way back to the restaurant, just to avoid adding another $40 to the day’s tab.

Those going for spa treatments, sporting events or the theater will do so in Boston at their own risk. During rush hour, many metered streets in downtown Boston become an extra travel lane, making the availability of parking even more tenuous. Yes, there are places like the Boston Common Garage, where one can park for three hours on a weekday for $28 if spaces are available, but that is a lot of money and for much of the year can be a lengthy walk in the elements.

The persecution of motorists in Boston is nothing new, but this particular maneuver by Mayor Walsh is especially audacious, as some revenues will go to bike lanes and 19 new city employees, including a new parking enforcement supervisor, a number of signal maintenance workers and planners, and a five-member “Transit Team” working with the MBTA to improve service.

In the cultural caste system, those traveling in gas-burning cars are at the bottom and are most deserving of a fleecing. No thought is given to the plight of the motorist whatsoever, and though the economic impact on Boston would be ruinous if all leisure and commercial activity ceased within the city limits, many residents and elected officials would welcome it.

Although there will be an initial revenue windfall for Boston, parking hikes will ultimately be detrimental to the city and Mayor Walsh.

Alternately, it will be glorious for Mayor Joe Curtatone of Somerville, where visitors to Assembly Row can grab a meal, shop, watch a movie and much more, and park for free for three hours. Similarly, Market Street in Lynnfield has plenty of parking, as does Legacy Place in Dedham and other similar destinations.

Alternatives to Boston are popping up throughout the state, offering everything that people love about Boston, without things they hate.