Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia wants all Bostonians to be able to “smaht-pahk.”
The recently elected councilor at large will present a hearing order on Wednesday to examine the possibility of income-adjusted parking tickets in Boston.
In a recent Twitter video, Mejia used a viral Boston-themed Super Bowl commercial as a launching point for her stance on parking tickets.
“Not everyone can ‘smaht pahk’ their car in the city of Boston. There are a lot of people who are juggling to make their coins meet," Mejia said in the video.
Mejia tweeted the video on Feb. 3 in response to Hyundai’s request to make its Boston-themed Super Bowl ad the official ad for the city. The councilor filed a parody resolution to do just that—but with a few suggestions.
She said that Hyundai might want to help with people’s financial hardships and cover the cost of some parking tickets. Hyundai did not respond to the suggestion.
U.S. & World
Mejia’s hearing will examine how income-adjusted parking tickets could create economic empowerment for Boston residents.
Although income-adjusted parking tickets are not common in the United States, similar practices are used in countries like Finland.
Mejia was elected as a councilor at large in 2019 after beating her opponent by a single vote in a recount.
