2023-05-25-LCC-min-DRAFT - Laserfiche WebLink

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DRAFTproposed by Pam & Fred wealthiest demographic in the United States while Lexpress ridership trends low-income, people of color, people with disabilities and students. It is beyond perverse that we provide free parking passes to seniors who own cars while we charge seniors who depend on Lexpress (and seniors are Lexpress' largest demographic) for basic transportation. Seniors take Lexpress to low wage jobs, the Community Center, to grocery stores (Stop and Shop and HMart), pharmacies, physician's appointments at Lahey Lexington and Burlington, and simply to get around. Not to mention the climate change implications of encouraging driving. • That said, we note that parking spaces are not free. We buy meters and pave, stripe and plow parking spaces which constitute valuable real estate that cannot be used for other purposes. Free parking exists at the perimeters of the Center (as well as a free initial fifteen minutes at the meters.) Linking the fee for senior parking to the fee for a Lexpress pass would go some way toward an equitable distribution of government resources. • Increase the age requirement to seventy. When passes are renewed, people under seventy who already have a pass could keep the pass but new rules should be enforced. • Finally we note that the pilot program has taken place entirely during the Covid Pandemic and build-out of the Streetscape Project, both of which dramatically reduced parking demand in Lexington Center. Given the nature of the program, it is challenging to collect data regarding parking turnover and violations. And, even if such data had been collected (and we are unaware of any efforts to do so) the effects of the pandemic and Streetscape build-out would render that data meaningless. The Parking Management Group and the Center Committee flagged these issues two years ago and we just want to bring them to the fore again. • In summary we urge the Select Board to close the loopholes as described; limit the passes to one per senior driver, limit the pass to the Depot Lot, charge a fee equal to that charged for a Lexpress pass; and raise the minimum age to seventy.