The Newton City Council voted 18-6 on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, to let the city’s Traffic Council exempt angled parking spaces from Newton’s winter overnight parking ban. Two days later, a council committee asked the city’s Law Department to draft a ban on cryptocurrency ATMs, which police linked to more than $411,000 in local scam losses since 2023.
Newton overnight parking ban: what changed
The Traffic Council already had the power to exempt spaces that are perpendicular to the curb from the overnight ban, but the only such spaces are on a short stretch of Chestnut Street in Upper Falls, the Newton Beacon reported. Councilor Tarik Lucas, who chairs the Public Safety and Transportation Committee, proposed adding angled spaces to that authority.
Newton has angled parking in five places, according to the Beacon:
- Albemarle Road in Newtonville
- Washington Street in Newtonville
- Beacon Street in Waban
- Auburn Street in Auburndale
- Commonwealth Avenue near Centre Street and Grant Avenue
The vote gives the Traffic Council the option to act. It does not itself lift the ban anywhere. Any exemption could take effect by Dec. 1, and the City Council keeps the right to hear appeals of Traffic Council decisions.
Amendments rejected
Councilor Rena Getz proposed limiting the new authority to Albemarle Road, noting that Beacon Street and Auburn Street are inside the Village Center Overlay District (VCOD). “There was consistency between the working group as well as PS&T that they would not lift the ban in the VCOD,” she said. That amendment was narrowly rejected.
Councilor Joshua Krintzman argued against it. “This is still going very slowly, and it’s a very small change,” he said, according to the Beacon.
Councilor Randy Block proposed excluding all VCOD spaces. He withdrew the amendment after Lucas said he would oppose it because the Law Department had not reviewed it, and Block then voted against the main motion. “I’m very disappointed that this council seems to want to just let the Traffic Council take some lead on this and to give us the task of appealing their decisions,” Block said.
Crypto ATM ban request
At its Oct. 21 meeting, the council’s Programs and Services Committee took up the cryptocurrency kiosks, according to Townbrief, which reported from the meeting’s official video. Councilor Brie Lucas mapped more than a dozen of the machines in Newton village centers and asked the Law Department to draft an ordinance modeled on a ban Waltham passed in 2025.
A sergeant in the Newton Police Detective Bureau told the committee the machines charge markups of 10% to 25% and that money sent through them in scams is “basically just about gone,” Townbrief reported. Police tied more than $411,000 in local losses since 2023 to scams involving the kiosks. Any ordinance would need a full council vote.
Pay review commission and council size
The same committee voted unanimously to ask Council President John Oliver to form a Blue Ribbon Commission to review pay for the mayor, city councilors and School Committee members. The resolution was amended to exclude sitting elected officials. The committee also debated, without a vote, whether to shrink the 24-member council or make the job full time. Councilor Stephen Farrell argued for full-time service and Councilor Lyle Baker defended the part-time model.
Other Newton business
At the Oct. 19 meeting, the council also heard the mayor’s presentation of the FY2028-32 Capital Improvement Plan, The Newton Record reported. Committee reports are due back to the full council on Nov. 2. Separately, the Traffic Council on Oct. 22 approved an accessible parking space on Hollis Street, a resident-permit exception on Arapahoe Road and a parking ban on the south side of Ellis Road, the Record reported. Those decisions can be appealed through Nov. 11.
For more Newton coverage and city resources, see our Newton local news and city guide and the Local Towns hub. For winter parking rules in Boston, check our snow day storm center.
Sources
- Newton Beacon, “Council clears the way for angled parking spot exemption from overnight ban,” Oct. 19, 2026
- Townbrief, “Newton Panel Votes for Pay Review Commission,” Oct. 21, 2026
- The Newton Record, council preview, Oct. 16, 2026
- The Newton Record, Traffic Council report, Oct. 22, 2026
Additional sources
- City of Newton meetings portal (agendas and video)
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (report online scams)
- City of Newton
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