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CMA 2025-230

Awaiting Report Item Numbers 25-38, 25-39 and 25-41, regarding issues related to parking in the area surrounding the eastern end of Broadway

How it started
Sep 15, 2025 · Submitted by Yi-An Huang, City Manager.
What happened
Sep 15, 2025 · 📁 Placed on file. This was an informative report; there were no decisions to make. (unanimous)

Voted yes (9), unanimous

  • Burhan Azeem
  • Marc McGovern
  • Patty Nolan
  • Sumbul Siddiqui
  • Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler
  • Paul F. Toner
  • Ayesha M. Wilson
  • Cathie Zusy
  • E. Denise Simmons
Roll call of Sep 15, 2025 · from the city’s record · photos: City of Cambridge
What’s next
🚪 End of the line: filing closes the matter. Nothing further is scheduled.
Placed on file, unanimousSep 15, 2025
Referred for reportAR 2025-41Aug 4, 2025
Administration answeredCMA 2025-230Sep 15, 2025 · answered in 42 days

The item's path through the council, every recorded step. How the request pipeline works

The document Agenda item attachment · 4 pages

We have identified 17 spaces in Section A of the Broadway corridor, between Portland Steet and Columbia Street, where we are adding resident permit parking requirements. This includes 11 spaces on Broadway, 4 spaces on Market St between Broadway and Clark St and 2 spaces on Moore St, just off of Broadway. Meters will be in effect from 9 am to 5 pm and resident permits will be required between 10pm and 8 am.

The project team solicited feedback on these changes from both businesses on Broadway and the Broadway Safety Improvement Project Working Group. Key feedback included: 1. Retain loading zones as they currently are to facilitate off-peak deliveries in the morning and evening. 2. Do not change spaces near restaurants and places that serve early morning or late night or patrons, such as breweries and coffee shops. 3.

Provide a flexible period between when the meters end and resident requirements begin so that spaces can turn over, shifting the start of resident parking from 8 pm to 10 pm, again to better accommodate nearby business hours. Regulation changes and informational signage will be in place by the end of September.

Awaiting Report 2025-39: That the City Manager is requested to work with the Cambridge Department of Transportation to study the feasibility of modifying non-resident parking permit fees for households in within the Broadway Segment A project area, including offering a discounted rate structure for permits that are requested by residents with low- income residents, and to report back to the City Council as soon as possible with proposed recommended eligibility criteria, a fee schedule, and a timeline for implementation if they are proposed.

2 Non-resident parking permits allow limited parking in Permit Parking Only areas for people who travel to resident’s homes to provide a service, such as long-term care or childcare. The fees for these annual permits vary from as low as $50 a year to a maximum of $200 a year. This program is already structured to keep costs low, as residents who have multiple providers visiting at different times are only charged a single fee.

Further, we would not make changes to our programs for one geographical area that would not apply equally across the City. At this time, we do not recommend changes to the fee structure of our non- resident parking permits. Awaiting Report 2025-41: That the City Manager is requested to work with relevant City departments to explore creative solutions that reduce car dependency, while expanding access to parking options nearby Broadway.

The City created Flexible Parking Corridors to make more flexible rules for off-street parking along corridors identified in the 2020 Bike Plan Network for Greater Separation and bus priority corridors. The goal of Flexible Parking Corridors is to reduce the impact of on-street parking removal as we build our bike and bus networks. A complete bike and bus network will reduce demand for parking in the long term.

Flexible Parking Corridors create simpler rules for who is allowed to park in existing parking lots and garages along those streets. DOT staff have engaged in intensive outreach to residents, businesses, schools, and other property owners along Broadway to communicate the option of Commercial Parking Permits: Sent an informational mailer and contact sheet to 6,234 businesses about the implementation of Flexible Parking Corridors, including information on the Virtual Information Session and upcoming Office Hours.

The changes were also shared on the City's news website, the Daily Update email, and social media. Held a virtual session and scheduled Office Hours on information for anyone interested in Flexible Parking Corridors. Created a web page for Flexible Parking Corridors, including a FAQ section that explains the steps to convert a lot or parking garage to shard parking or commercial parking. Established a Commercial Parking Control Committee (CPCC) to review applications for

Commercial Parking Facility Permits

Created Commercial Parking Control Committee web page. Created an online Application form for a Commercial Parking Facility Permit. Scheduled a public records and open meeting law training session for the CPCC members on September 17, 2025, followed by an Inaugural meeting for the CPCC members to review the Commercial Parking Permit regulations and the Committees roles and responsibilities. This session will be open to the public.

DOT is expecting applications for Commercial Parking Facilities to be submitted in mid to late September with hearings beginning in October or November, 2025. Property owners who intend to share their existing off-street parking spaces with other parcels in the Flexible Parking Corridor boundaries can register or re-register the change in users of the parking spaces with DOT.

A Commercial Parking Facility permit would not be needed for “shared parking” because the parking spaces would be for designated users and not open to the general public for a fee.

3 Work continues to make the broader public, along Broadway and across the City, aware of the new flexible parking corridors to encourage private parking space owners to expand access to their lots and spaces.

The City also has many existing programs whose goal is to reduce car dependency by making it easier, safer, more accessible, and more affordable for people to walk, bike, and take transit: Bluebikes regional public bikeshare system: with classic bikes and e-bikes EZRide shuttle: connecting North Station to Cambridge Crossing to Kendall Square to Cambridgeport Safe Routes to School program: to increase the number of students who get to and from school by walking or biking School Wellness Policy: The Cambridge Public Schools Wellness Policy and Implementation Procedures support and encourage opportunities for all students to be physically active, including walking or riding a bike Bicycle education workshops for youth, adults, and seniors: Topics include bike maintenance, winter biking, on-bike refreshers, riding with families, and rules of the road/etiquette Transportation outreach and Information about sustainable transportation

Transportation advisory committees: Bicycle, Transit, and Pedestrian Committees

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🗓 The meeting where this was taken up: Sep 15, 2025

↩ Answers awaiting report: Awaiting report 2025 · #38, Awaiting report 2025 · #39, Awaiting report 2025 · #41