Margaret Farmer, Candidate for Boston City Council, has proposed an end to towing for street cleaning in the neighborhood of East Boston. Removing towing for street cleaning was adopted several years ago in the Charlestown neighborhood, and has proven successful, and Farmer believes the time is ripe to expand the program to more neighborhoods, specifically East Boston.
“The current ticket is $40 with a tow fee of a $125, at a minimum–this doesn’t include the cost of the time it takes to retrieve your car. This cost is too high for East Boston residents,” Farmer said. She continued “It stops kids from getting to school on time, and can cost someone an entire day of work to retrieve their vehicle. I am not convinced that towing actually adds value when we can have a fine at a higher rate, giving the city more funding.”
Farmer’s proposal would call for a single $90 ticket instead of the current ticket-and-tow program. “An increased fine actually saves Boston residents money,” she pointed out, as it would relieve residents of the costs associated with locating and retrieving towed vehicles. She also proposed that the funds from the increased tickets could be used to pay individual workers with brooms, who could clean hard to reach areas in the streets.
Margaret Farmer is one of three candidates currently running to represent District 1 in the Boston City Council. District 1 includes East Boston, Charlestown, and the North End. You can read more about her candidacy and position on issues at her website http://www.margaretfarmerfor Boston.org.