By William Tauro

Neighbors are outraged and business owners are furious over last months decision to due away with the parking and imposing no parking anytime signs on McGrath Highway, on both sides, from Washington Street to Somerville Avenue.

The new parking regulations came into affect after this notice was posted in local newspapers for the past three weeks that read:
THE TRAFFIC COMMISSION BY THE POWER VESTED IN IT THROUGH A SPECIAL ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE, CHAPTER 397 OF THE ACTS OF 1978, HEREBY AMENDS THE TRAFFIC ORDINANCES WITH THE ADDITION OF THE FOLLOWING REGULATIONS:
“2015-21 Article V Section 5-5 “Parking Locations and Prohibitions” is amended with the following: No Parking Any Time on McGrath Highway, both sides, from Washington St to Somerville Ave (for the duration of the construction associated with Mccarthy Overpass Project)!”​PROMULGATED: JUNE 2, 2015
​ADVERTISED: JUNE 9, 2015, JUNE 16, 2015, JUNE 23, 2015 ​ EFFECTIVE: JULY 1, 2015,Suzanne Rinfret, Director.

“This is not fair,” Maria Lopez, one resident who lives on that road said.
“Our family has been here for over forty years and we have lived here for over thirty years and now just like that, poof, its all gone!” “Where do we park now?” “How do we unload our groceries?” “Where can our family and friends park that want to come to visit us?” “This is totally unfair, we feel as if we were robbed!”

In a phone interview with Excel, a mechanical company that has an office and shop located on McGrath Highway, an employee of the company said ” How are we supposed to receive our stock deliveries?” “We can’t even unload supplies from our vehicles without getting a parking ticket now!”

One business owner that we’ve talked to who preferred not to give his name with fear of any retaliation from the city said that “This monstrosity is going to put us out of business as well as all the other businesses on this road out of business within a year!” “These buildings have been here for over one hundred years and all of a sudden people from other parts of the city are telling them how to live our lives and not to park in front front of their own buildings.” with a look of disgust on his face he continued to say “It was bad enough when they took away parking on the opposite side of the street but now both sides of the street totally ridiculous and uncalled for!” He went on to say that “Business is bad enough with one side of the street parking gone but now with both sides gone so are our customers.”
“We’re even more outraged to find out about the plan that illuminated the parking spots now calls to install bikepaths and that’s even more of a slap in the face!” “Since these signs went up last week the entire street is a ghost town!”

The residents and business owners that we talked to on this street are planning to have signatures gathered and petitions signed to fight the order.