MPS Helps Two Massachusetts Cities Reduce Illegal Parking at Bus Stops ahead of MBTA Enforcement

In November 2023, The Boston Globe published an article titled "Meet the 'SafetyStick,' Somerville's new robotic approach to doling out parking tickets" (Nov. 15, 2023, BostonGlobe.com). Then, on March 26, 2024, the newspaper ran "In Boston: Parked cars regularly block buses. Other cities show it doesn't have to be this way," which highlighted the nationwide challenge of illegal parking and recognized Somerville's deployment of the SafetyStick as an effective deterrent, suggesting the model could be scaled to other communities and jurisdictions (MPS).

Building on earlier Boston Globe coverage, new results from SafetySticks show that Somerville and Lynn have seen noticeable declines in illegal parking at bus stops since installing SafetySticks—well ahead of the MBTA's upcoming regional enforcement program.

Somerville: From Pilot to Rollout
Suzanne Rinfret, Somerville's Director of Traffic and Parking, first installed SafetySticks at a bus stop on Elm Street as a pilot project two years ago, the results were eye-opening. "We knew bus stops were being blocked," Rinfret said. "What we didn't realize was that it was happening around the clock — as many as seven times a day, more than 200 times a month."

During the initial 67-day pilot, the devices recorded 469 violations, an average of seven per day, at a single bus stop. The pilot was featured in The Boston Globe's 2023 coverage (BostonGlobe.com). Somerville now has 25 SafetySticks in service. At one stop, violations fell from 68 in June to 14 in September.

Lynn: Following the Beacon
In Lynn, Jessica Chiappini, parking director for the city, launched a SafetyStick deployment roughly a year behind Somerville. The city is seeing similar results.

"When we introduced SafetySticks in March, we were seeing a significant amount of violations across a number of bus stops. Over the next four months, through June, that number dropped dramatically, as much as an 70% decrease. "This tells me people are learning you can't illegally park in Lynn."

 While Lynn's SafetyStick deployment is smaller in scale than Somerville's, the trend is clear. Both cities have seen sustained declines in illegal parking at protected bus stops, reflecting measurable changes in driver behavior, even before broader regional enforcement takes effect.

Why It Matters (and What's Next)
The positive enforcement results from these two communities suggest that automated enforcement, via small, easy to install, solar-powered devices, changes driver behavior even before full-scale policing arrives. In fact, Somerville's pilot was heralded by the Boston Globe's 2023 article as an effective solution for city efforts to reduce the ongoing challenges associated with bus-lane blockages.

For the MBTA, which has long faced challenges with cars idling in bus lanes and blocking bus zones, two Massachusetts communities may have demonstrated a cost-effective solution worth broader consideration. If additional municipalities adopt the technology and achieve similar results, the MBTA could benefit from a proven, scalable, and more efficient enforcement model, rather than build one from scratch.

About Municipal Parking Services (MPS)
Municipal Parking Services Inc. (MPS) is a pioneer in enhanced parking enforcement and compliance technologies. Since 2013, MPS has leveraged its unique platform to deliver cloud-connected parking and safety solutions that reduce illegal parking, increase compliance, and improve safety outcomes. MPS solutions use embedded AI to automate license plate recognition, dynamic pricing, zone monitoring, and enforcement, creating safer, smarter communities. The company partners with leading safety organizations, including Vision Zero, IPMI, IACLEA, and IACP. Headquartered in Austin, Texas. Learn more at www.mpspark.com.

SOURCE Municipal Parking Services (MPS)