Boston Council Hears BPS Parking Crisis as City Ends Educator Ticket Dismissals

BOSTON — February 12, 2026 — Boston City Council hears BPS traveling teachers face parking fines as city ends historical exemptions. The Committee on City Services, chaired by District 2 Councilor Ed Flynn, held a hearing Thursday on Docket 0112 — an order sponsored by Councilor Aaron Murphy — revealing that a Boston Transportation Department letter effective February 1, 2026, formally eliminates any ticket dismissals or placards for Boston Public School employees. Johnny McGuinness of the Boston Teachers Union testified that roughly 80 BPS staff designated as travelers — including speech pathologists, physical therapists, and social workers serving students under federally mandated IEPs — rely on a first-year pilot program providing meter codes at a limited number of downtown schools, but that most BPS buildings have no meters nearby and teachers face tickets, towing, and in some cases more than $400 a month in private garage fees. Neither Transportation Department Commissioner Nick Gove nor Parking Director Amelia Capone attended despite being specifically invited, a fact Murphy called "discouraging" and Flynn said left key administration questions unanswered. Councilor Culpepper asked McGuinness to poll members and return with a dollar estimate of cumulative ticket and towing costs for possible budget reimbursement consideration.