fb-pixelGlobe South Commentary - The Boston Globe Skip to main content

Globe South Commentary

Traffic situation a messFor a tourist town, the roads to/from the Plymouth waterfront are a mess. (“Reimagining Plymouth’s waterfront,” May 17.) The main road from Route 3 — Samoset Street — seems to be an exercise in slow-motion public works season after season. Many intersections lack readable pavement markings such as left-turn arrows, and the popular East Bay Grille seems to have monopolized nearly all the parking over by the town wharf. Look to Alexandria, Va., for another historical waterfront town, but one that seems to better manage traffic, roads, etc.

Finally, just IMHO, the ugly brick hotel and the T-shirt shops right across from the waterfront are an eyesore. That tacky stuff should be up on Court Street. It makes the whole Mayflower and waterfront look tacky.

lhanson3

Underwhelmed by waterfront

I have always found the waterfront there to be really underwhelming considering the historical importance. Look at St. Augustine, its competitor for claim to America’s Hometown. Plymouth is pretty dull and down around the ankles. No reason to go . . . even the rock is a “Is that all there is to it?” moment.

MarkPeters

Parking study needed

It’s probably worth doing a parking study before spending $24 million on a parking garage. In a lot of cases, when people think there isn’t “enough parking” it’s often the case that the most desirable parking spaces are being occupied nearly all the time but there are spaces nearby that aren’t being fully used.

Advertisement



Setting parking pricing properly and communicating clearly where parking is located can be very useful in making more efficient use of parking. The most in-demand spaces should be priced higher and the ones farther away should be cheaper. And with proper pricing, you won’t even need time limits, because prices will incentivize long-term parkers to use the spaces that are farther away and will free up the prime parking spaces for people who are visiting for shorter periods of time. cden4

Housing needs are clearThis article (“Housing puts heavy burden on many in Greater Boston,” May 17) should make it very clear why members of the working poor demographic within all of Massachusetts (metro Boston in particular) are one life crisis away from homelessness.

Our state budget manages this dynamic inefficiently with programs such as the voucher program for hotel rooms for homeless families.

It costs the taxpayer four times more to fund a year’s worth of voucher payments than permanent housing for the same family.

Another dynamic that hurts the working poor is that available jobs and housing are often in different communities, and the MBTA’s lack of reliability and efficiency makes settling into a community long-term unlikely.

Prioritizing safe and affordable housing for all residents is the #1 thing [Governor Charlie] Baker can do to provide a better quality of life for the entire Commonwealth.

Obviously, having homes helps the working poor, but taxpayers also benefit once Band-Aid social service programs can be eliminated because permanent solutions are in place.

KatherineBennett

Climate bill would come at a cost

Re: Senator Barrett’s bill and this comment, “The goal is to reduce pollution and to fight climate change without harming the economy.” (“Should Massachusetts adopt legislation establishing a fee on carbon pollution?” May 17.)

Advertisement



Thank goodness for the John Quinns of this world and the ability to look and think further than the tip of one’s nose and see reality.

Let’s back up a bit to 2008 and the Green Communities Act and the economic impact the 2008 “vision” has had on the Commonwealth.

Unattainable goals enacted into law based on unrealistic projections. The Barrett bill is more of the same.

Marie-Jane