Commission OKs Vernon Street Parking Ban
The Northampton Transportation and Parking Commission voted to ban parking on one side of Vernon Street, ending an eight-year fight over congestion near the high school.
Other Committee · Meeting of May 19, 2026
NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Transportation and Parking Commission voted to ban parking on one side of Vernon Street, ending an eight-year fight over congestion near the high school. Chair and Director of Public Works Donna Lascalia called the 7-0 vote "very satisfying," noting the issue dated to 2018 and intensified after a February 2025 snowstorm blocked a fire truck. Parking Enforcement Administrator Nancy Forrestal said a months-long trial drew positive feedback.
The commission also voted 7-0 to recommend a new PVTA bus stop zone on Elm Street and a 30-foot no-parking zone near Bridge Street Cemetery on Parsons Street. Members spent the longest stretch of the meeting on Bliss Street, where Police Chief John Cartlidge reported an 85th-percentile speed of 31 miles per hour among 5,828 vehicles measured, and residents split over whether to install speed humps.
In the full story:
- The Full Story
- Why It Matters
- Key Motions & Votes
- Source
- Northampton's community access TV: Transportation and Parking Commission meeting, May 19, 2026
- The complete report: 901 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of May 19, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.
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