Will Pahking at the Pahk Stop Being So Wicked Expensive?

The Mass. House of Representatives has passed a bill that, if approved by the Senate, would raise fines for Fenway parking lot operators who jack up their prices on game days. Bostonist can't really argue with this move, but we wonder how much a $1,000 fine (as opposed to the current $300) will deter people who are making upwards of $50 per car. We imagine their business philosophy is much like our parking philosophy: We never ever pay for parking, preferring to park illegally (or walk a little farther) instead. Most times, the fine we might have to pay if we get a ticket doesn't cost much more than the money we will definitely pay if we put the car in a lot, and we frequently don't get a ticket at all (but we are careful to avoid tow zones). Bostonist is not alone in concluding that statistically, risking the fine beats following the rules. (Best of all, of course, is to ride one's bicycle to the park, as we usually do.)

More important, we think, is the larger issue presented here about transportation policy. We have heard that some cities with traffic problems like ours are trying to make urban driving prohibitively expensive. Boston, on the other hand, has gleefully poured millions billions into making downtown more car-friendly, with a smaller, cheaper afterthought of a project to add some mass transit. (Don't misunderstand us - we prefer the Big Dig to what preceded it; we're just trying to make a point about legislative priorities.) Bostonist (admittedly just an opinionated wise-ass and not an urban planner) wonders whether there isn't a way to decrease the demand for parking near Fenway, thus removing the opportunity for price gouging. Maybe the key is to let prices near the park be totally unregulated while providing heavily discounted (or free) parking in Malden, Roxbury, and Newton, creating financial incentives for fans to take the T (of course, the MBTA might have to do something about the late-night schedules, too). Better yet, the city could levy heavy taxes on lots near Fenway (making driving into town less appealing) and use the money to subsidize cheap parking elsewhere. (To those who think that people who really love to drive will never voluntarily suffer to the indignities of public transit, Bostonist suggests that money can be more persuasive than you might imagine.) Our plan also offers other public benefits: (1) fans who may have had one too many get a little more time to sober up before getting behind the wheel, and (2) suburbanites get to enjoy the unique experience of the post-game atmosphere among Sox fans on the green line.