Where is the somerville/medford line?

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

I'd like to park near Tufts campus in permit parking with my Somerville parking pass, but I can't tell which streets are somerville and which are medford. I did a search online, but it seems if I plug in relevant street names for Medford or Somerville on something like google maps it gives me the same street as being in both towns.

A little help?

Comments

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

there is a town line sign on college ave somewhere, i think, that might help. also I think there might be one on Boston ave. Lastly, the parking signs themselves often (not always) say the town name in fine print at the bottom.

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

Also, the whole stretch of Powder House Blvd that borders Tufts is Somerville, I believe. And with a permit, there's pretty much always parking there.

[acidgalore.livejournal.com]

You can check out this index map http://www.somervillema.gov/cos_content/documents/ParcelCover.pdf
And you can always check out the detail maps from http://www.somervillema.gov/AssessorMaps.cfm

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

This is perfect. Thanks! Tufts has a lot more Somerville streets than I had thought.

[acidgalore.livejournal.com]

Oh, I also found this City Map showing the border between Medford/Somerville http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/CoS_Content/documents/StreetMap2002.pdf

[dphilli1.livejournal.com]

the other place you can park is the tufts campus lot across from the gym. I've parked there off and on for years with no problems.

[ron_newman]

Line is really zig-zaggedy between the two cities and cuts the Tufts campus in half, but not in any sensible way. Rez Quad is all Medford but I'm not sure about the Academic Quad? see below, that's also in Medford.

Ahhh -- here's a Tufts campus map that actually shows the city line: Medford/Somerville Campus Parking Map. I don't think this shows the entire campus, however. Also available as PDF

Looks like the line goes right through the middle of Tisch Library. Is it marked on the floor, like the US/Canada boundary in the Derby Line, VT public library?

[acidgalore.livejournal.com]

Well, the city line may not appear "sensible" now, but it existed way before all these buildings & developments that we see now. Most likely the boundary line follows very old property lines between estates / farmlands etc etc that at some point were consolidated to create city blocks and other residential, institutional, industrial developments.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

I don't think they mark the line in the library and they (whoever they are) let the boundary sign across from the Memorial Steps go to pot. I tried to find a photo of it, but no luck.

I laugh when they mention a football game or gallery showing as being in "Medford" as they are really in Somerville. The mailing addresses are all Medford, even if the building is in Somerville.

[afty.livejournal.com]

They ticket a lot in that lot. I work in the building across the street, and I see the police out there all the time.

[zmgmeister.livejournal.com]

> They ticket a lot in that lot.

Are we talking about the lot next to the gym, or the lot across the street next to the huge park with the baseball and soccer fields?

[afty.livejournal.com]

The one across the street near the athletic fields. I used to have a Tufts parking pass before I moved to Somerville, and I would park there. I often saw a Tufts police officer walking around the lot checking for parking permits.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

If Tufts is like other area colleges, you don't have to pay their tickets. If you study or work there, they could put them on your account. And if you have unpaid tickets, you might get towed from their property in the future. But there's nothing else they can do to make you pay.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

I think they have the authority to enforce them (otherwise, who from outside the school would care?) Here's what Fitchburg State's web site says about the matter:

Faculty/Staff permit holders and individuals of non-permitted vehicles who have failed to resolve a parking violation within 90 days may be reported to the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), which can result in the non-renewal of one's license to drive or vehicle registration.

Tufts also threatens to tow if you accumulate tix:

Vehicles can be towed whether or not they have a decal. The accumulation of 3 or more tickets involving "No Decal/Expired Decal" or "Expired Meter" will necessitate a vehicle being towed. Also, vehicles accumulating 8 or more citations can be removed as well. Any vehicle blocking a fire hydrant, fire lane, or otherwise causing an immediate obstruction which could hinder an emergency response will also be towed. Finally, parking a car without state issued handicap license plates or a handicap pass could result in a vehicle being towed.

[somervilleguy.livejournal.com]

It's been at least 15 years since I had a ticket from tufts so unless it’s changed in that time frame (and maybe it has) the RMV doesn't care about those tickets issued by a private entity. State schools are completely different since they are part of the states property so it's the same as getting a ticket on the Mass pike. I found that out at the "ZOO".