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Letter to the Editor
May 30, 2013- By Debra Banks
BPC is changing for the worse…the traffic congestion from tour buses, diverted traffic and road closures due to events taking place down here (i.e. the Wall Street run this evening is making life unbearable for residents who live here and have a car!). We pay extra to live here, and yet it seems as though we do not count anymore.
On a recent trip to Boston, all one sees are resident permit parking zones and permits which are given out free to residents. We should have something similar here. Stop the tour buses from using South End as a drop off and pick up for all the tourists…and let’s give the area back to residents to enjoy.
amen…after a long day of work…hundreds of runners blocking everything and to top it off ….drums………………………………please….
An interesting solution would be to Charge a fee for groups who want to use our neighborhood for their events. Similarly, buses who choose to use our area for a drop off area could do so for a $1000 fee. The fees collected would be directed towards off setting the maintenance and higher PILOT charges we pay which make this an attractive neighborhood. That solution would both reduce the usage – and contribute to the cost of maintenance
One thing that makes me happy is seeing the complaints of longtime residents about congestion, traffic, charity runs…. you name it. Post 9/11 this neighborhood was a ghost town. I remember walking over the temporary power cables in front of the WFC November 2001 wondering if this neighborhood would ever rebound from such a colossal blow. I’ve been here in BPC for 24 years and I smile every time I get blocked by tourists these days.
And yes, I ran the Wall Street Run that Debra complains about. It’s a mainstay of pre-9/11 life here in BPC and I am ecstatic that the crowds have returned.