Committee to Explore Fees at Kendal Green MBTA Commuter Parking Lot

A public transportation committee appointed by the Weston Board of Selectmen will continue to explore ways to solve inadequate parking at the Kendal Green  lot serving the MBTA commuter rail stop in Weston — including the possibility of instituting a parking fee.

At the May 23 Board of Selectmen’s meeting, the board heard from members of the Public Transportation Advisory Committee, who said parking is inadequate at the 53-spot Kendal Green lot.

“We know anecdotally and from the survey that’s not enough parking spaces,” said Lee Engler, committee chairman.

The committee conducted which was mailed to residents with the March 31 tax bills. Ten percent of Weston’s population, 375 residents, responded to the survey as of May 11, and the committee will continue to accept surveys through the end of May.

Engler said there are limited opportunities to expand parking at Kendal Green, because of surrounding wetlands areas. Creating spaces at 200 Church St. has been explored and permanently tabled, and the committee obtained a non-binding quote on creating 15 spaces at the Transfer Station, which would cost about $73,600.

Before considering adding spaces there, Engler suggested continued research on instituting parking fees at the Kendal Green lot. Doing so could discourage non-Weston residents from parking there, freeing up spaces for residents.

“Weston is one of the few towns that doesn’t charge,” he said.

In other towns, including Wellesley and Auburndale, once fees were instituted, the number of cars parked fell by about 30 percent, Engler said. However, eight years after instituting the fees, people have migrated back to the lots in Wellesley, he said. Auburndale’s fee structure is newer.

The committee counted cars at the Kendal Green lot over the course of the last year, and found that about 30 percent of people who parked there were Weston residents. Wayland residents were the next-most prevalent, while the remaining cars were from towns in outlying areas, or even out of state.

Engler suggested looking into various fee structures, including charging Weston residents $1 per day, and non-residents $4 per day, to park there. Doing so could raise about $30,000, which could go toward maintenance of the lot. If the fee leads to changes in some commuters’ parking habits, but there is still a need for more spaces, creating additional ones could then be considered, he said.

Selectmen Chairman Michael Harrity, who became chair earlier in the meeting after post-election reorganization, said he would like to make sure spaces are available to Weston residents, however he does not want to discourage use of the commuter rail because of any potential fees.

“I personally would hate to see that we discourage ridership and have empty spaces,” Harrity said. “Once someone changes their pattern you won’t get them back.”

The Board of Selectmen ultimately reappointed members of the Public Transportation Advisory Committee through June 2013, as members' one-year terms were up. The committee plans to continue looking at public transportation in Weston, including the possibility of charging a fee at Kendal Green, and will make formal recommendations to selectmen in the fall. Public hearings would also be held if a fee structure, or other parking plans, move forward.