Street sweeping, but out of town for two weeks

[enfa.livejournal.com]

I'll be out of town for two weeks, and need to have my car moved at least one time to avoid a street sweeping ticket.

311 suggested having a friend move it, or contesting the ticket with proof that I was out of town.

If possible, I'd like to avoid either option, and just dump my car somewhere that costs much less than a 50$ ticket to guarantee a citation-free return.

Obvious choices are 'bribe a friend with a driveway' or 'find a T-accessible town without permit parking' or 'somehow camouflage the car to look like a dumpster', but I'd like to expand my list.

Suggestions kindly accepted. Offers of a driveway spot for April 11-23 would be loved.

Comments

[koloratur.livejournal.com]

DO NOT leave it and contest the ticket. They don't give a crap where you were. And shame on 311 for suggesting it, knowing that Somerville will ticket for being in the same spot for 48 hours, let alone two weeks. I'd offer to help, but I'm housing a friend's car in my driveway during the same time. That is probably going to be your best bet, unless you want to try something like one of the Logan express shuttles - park in the boonies, take a bus to Logan, take the t back to Davis. You probably know someone who wouldn't mind car sitting; don't think of it as a pain in the butt, think of it as a free car for two weeks :)

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

And shame on 311 for suggesting it, knowing that Somerville will ticket for being in the same spot for 48 hours, let alone two weeks.

Agreed. Not to mention the likelihood of being towed, in which case, the fines and fees *really* add up.

What I like to do when I'm away (even when I have a driveway) is lend my car to a car-free friend so they can do any distance or bulk shopping or whatever. Maybe that could work?

[enfa.livejournal.com]

I've had pretty good luck not moving my car more than once a week in summer. I've lived where I live for 2 years and only gotten a 48hr ticket one time, after not clearing snow off of my car.

Having more than 5 years of Somerville parking stickers and driving a beater might hold some sway with the parking officers.

Logan express might be a good option, thank you.

[koloratur.livejournal.com]

It's definitely one of those irritating rules that isn't a problem until it's a problem.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

And shame on 311 for suggesting it, knowing that Somerville will ticket for being in the same spot for 48 hours, let alone two weeks.

Oh, but see...that's part of their plan. 311 is in cahoots with the DPT. This diabolical scheme is how the city makes its money.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

contesting the ticket with proof that I was out of town.

Wait, 311 suggested you try and contest a valid ticket - as no vehicle is supposed to be parked in any one sot for more than what, 48 hours in a row?

I sure hope you got the name of that 311 operator.

[enfa.livejournal.com]

I did, her name was 'Garble garp-garble'

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Why the frack are comments screened on this post?

[enfa.livejournal.com]

Not sure, fixed now.

moderator note

[ron_newman]

All posts to davis_square MUST have comments enabled. Please turn off comment screening. I am going to unscreen the three existing comments. Thank you.

Re: moderator note

[enfa.livejournal.com]

Sorry Ron, my mistake, not sure how that happened, fixed now, and thank you for your attention.

[zaarwin-devolve.livejournal.com]

Actually, I think you'll have to have it moved more than once. I believe Somerville doesn't allow parking in one place for more than 48 hrs. I don't know how strict they are about enforcement but am guessing that, like other parking regulations, it's strictly enforced.

So, yeah, bribe a friend with a driveway, or find a garage where you can park it, or park it at work if you can get away with it. The work thing, if my current place didn't have a driveway, is what I would've done when I went out of town for awhile.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

I don't know how strict they are about enforcement

That depends entirely on where you are. On my street, which is pretty out-of-the-way and generally has spots available on it all the time, the 48-hour enforcement is more like a 120-hour enforcement. On busier streets, enforcement is very strict.

[zaarwin-devolve.livejournal.com]

Figures. On my street, it seems to be somewhere in the 72 hr. range. They don't seem to mind people parking over the weekend but will ticket you if it's not gone by Monday afternoon.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

How much bribery we talkin'? ;) I have a spare driveway spot, assuming my downstairs neighbor is cool with it. (We're in Ball Square. Private message me.)

[intuition-ist.livejournal.com]

If you're traveling by air, try one of the Logan Express lots -- they're having an April special...see http://www.massport.com/Logan/getti_typeo_logan.html

[enfa.livejournal.com]

This is helpful, thank you for the suggestion :)

[freedmam.livejournal.com]

There's a lot near me owned by the city that is free (and completely safe to park in for 2 weeks). It's on central...between highland and medford. There is some old signage hanging that might scare you (it used to be owned by somerville hospital). But I promise it's now owned by the city.

Where?

[dashford.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like a better idea of where this lot is -- you've described a three-block stretch of Central Ave.

Re: Where?

[ron_newman]

it's on the west side of Central Street just south of the railroad bridge, across from the Verizon building. A short new bike path leads west from it through the new Somerville Junction Park.

I don't know if I'd leave a car there for two weeks, though. The Armory often uses this lot as overflow parking, and I think the hospital still uses it sometimes as well.

Re: Where?

[freedmam.livejournal.com]

It's right near the bridge over the railroad tracks. It backs up to a dog park. Not the side of the bridge where the foam company is...the side closer to Highland.

Re: Where?

[ron_newman]

I don't think that Somerville Junction is officially a dog park, though people may be using it as one.

Re: Where?

[freedmam.livejournal.com]

I think the dogistation, the dog water fountain, and the signs that say "Dogs must be on leash" make it an official dog park :)

Re: Where?

[ron_newman]

Ahh, OK. I thought "dog park" mean "off-leash dog park", which this isn't.

[enfa.livejournal.com]

This is helpful, and exactly the kind of thing I was hoping this post would find. Thank you!

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

Find a no-permit spot in Cambridge, in a neighborhood whose street cleaning day isn't during the 2 weeks in question.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

Another option: an office park in the suburbs. I know of people who have left cars for more than 2 weeks at several different ones.

[apricot3.livejournal.com]

where are there no-permit spots in cambridge which don't also have street cleanings? i think almost everywhere has a cleaning during the second and third weeks :/

my suggestion would be parking in medford, but i'm not sure what their cleaning schedule is either... when i lived in ball square and had a similar problem, i parked along Boston Ave which doesn't require a permit.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

Every street in Cambridge has street cleaning April-December (except some blocks with meters, and possibly a few blocks they forgot), but only once a month. (Memorial Drive used to be an exception, but it recently had street cleaning signs posted.)

The schedule at http://www.cambridgema.gov/TheWorks/departments/strClng/schedule.html tells you when, and has maps of the districts.

primospot.com will show you the posted rules, including permit rules, but it doesn't yet include the part of Cambridge closest to Davis (west of Porter, north of Concord Avenue).