Snow Emergency Lots (near Davis)

[coeceo.livejournal.com]

So its been harder and harder to find odd side spots lately and with today's snow emergency coming so early, I need some help on the overflow lots.

Somerville's website states that all metered lots are fair game for snow emergencies, the closest I can think of are right on Buena Vista Rd. (accross from Orleans/Comcast building), and also the one across from Saccos that you access on Herbert St.

My question is, is that other lot NEXT to Saccos and behind CVS a municiple lot? Thus open for parking during snow emergencies?

Comments

[cupcakebetty.livejournal.com]

Nope, it's a privately-owned lot (spaces are rented to nearby businesses for their employees - hence the space numbering). As far as I can tell, those aren't available during snow emergencies.

[ron_newman]

There are also some municipal metered lots along Grove Street between Elm and Holland (but NOT the one next to Downtown Wine -- that's reserved for Gargoyles customers after 6 pm). Plus the lots next to Rite Aid (metered) and behind Rite Aid (no meters, signed as "Business Permit Parking" during normal days)

Finally, there's the ultra-tiny lot next to the West Branch Library.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

Why are the Gargoyles' meters reserved even during a snow emergency? Seems that if it's an *emergency* all bets are off.

[ron_newman]

I believe this lot is owned by Gargoyles (or its landlord), and is leased to the city for metered parking during the day. I actually have no idea what the rules are there for snow emergencies, but I've seen lots of signs telling people not to use the meters after 6 pm.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

What Ron said, because it's privately owned.

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

That lot next to the Somerville library is fair game for snow emergency parking but not normally a metered lot, right? I've never looked back there but I though the sign said "for library employees only". (Which would make it just like school lots during a snowstorm, I guess.)

[ron_newman]

Yep. I didn't even know it existed until I saw it in one of Somerville's snow emergency announcements a few years ago. I dunno where library employees are supposed to park if residents use it, though.

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

The library is not going to be open during a snow emergency either. It's how the school lots work too - normally school employees park there, and during declared snow emergencies school is closed too to enable parking there to enable clearing of the streets.

[ron_newman]

In my experience, the libraries usually have been open on days that schools were closed

[ron_newman]

Full list of municipal parking lots that you can use in a snow emergency.

Map of these lots

I'd forgotten about the tiny little metered lot between Elm and Summer streets, across from Citizens Bank.

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

Huh, I assumed that the Dilboy stadium lot was municipal... Guess I won't park there.

[ron_newman]

I think it's owned by the state. Give 311 a call and ask. (617-666-3311 for you) And please report back what they say to you.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

The Dilboy Stadium lot is owned by the DCR. I think residents park there at night most of the year, since there's no street parking on Alewife Brook Parkway.

But I don't know what the official overnight or snow emergency rules are for that lot. And sometimes the city uses it as a tow pound during snow emergencies.

[tober.livejournal.com]

Until it became cold and we moved indoors for the winter, I used to work out with Mountain Strength Crossfit at Dilboy Field early (6am) each morning. The lot is mostly empty overnight and seems to be patrolled somewhat regularly by Somerville police - but despite that, it does seem to see some use as a hangout for youth and as a trysting-place. In construction season it has also been used as a staging area. I have no idea whether you would be likely to get ticketed and/or towed for parking there during a snow emergency. I don't think I would risk it.

Davis Square Snow Emergency Parking Lots

[bobthemadmidget.livejournal.com]

I thought it would be nice to be able to see this data better than what is available on the Somerville website so I set up a map on Google Maps to display this.

You can see the map at http://www.batchgeo.com/map/somervillesnowparking (http://www.batchgeo.com/map/somervillesnowparking).

You may edit the map at it's BatchGeo edit page (http://www.batchgeo.com/map/edit/?660723&d=5af915d87aa06b3bafa2d08dd731fa59), I had to do a bit of tweaking to get the ones in Davis square correct, so please feel free to help out with the others.

The original data can be found and edited on Google Docs (https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Ao41j_ounhundHI5c0NVSzB0XzVUT2UxdW0zQkZyeEE&hl=en).

Re: Davis Square Snow Emergency Parking Lots

[ron_newman]

I clicked on your 'BatchGeo edit page', which redirected to BatchGeo.com . I have no idea what to do next. I'd like to move some of the markers off the streets and into the actual parking lots (Buena Vista, Day and Herbert).

Re: Davis Square Snow Emergency Parking Lots

[mderidder.livejournal.com]

Magoun Square lot is in Everett for some reason. Your link to the edit page does not work, otherwise I would have fixed.

[freedmam.livejournal.com]

There's a lot near me that seems fair game. On Central St. between Highland Medford. I have no idea who owns it. Sometimes it's used by Somerville Hospital and sometimes by the Armory. But in general, it's very empty. And quite handy during snowy times.

[ron_newman]

Cambridge Health Alliance (Somerville Hospital) used to own it, but they deeded it over to the city a few years ago, along with the land west of it that became Somerville Junction Park. The hospital and Verizon still have rights to park some vehicles there.

[dial-zero.livejournal.com]

Dang, is there anything you don't know about Somerville? :) Seriously!

[ron_newman]

Well, I'm on the Bicycle Committee where this was a pretty frequent topic of discussion. The short path in Somerville Junction Park will eventually become part of the Community Path extension, at which time the parking lot will need to be redesigned to accomodate the path.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

Are there any posted rules for that lot? If not, that's one of the few places in Somerville where a nonresident could park for more than 2 hours without a visitor permit.

[ron_newman]

Not that I can tell. A few spaces are marked as reserved for 'NYNEX' (which these days means Verizon). The Armory uses it as an overflow lot for many events.

[pakoo.livejournal.com]

Haha I was thinking the same thing...it's so handy to have a resident expert, I've benefited a lot from Ron's advice in the past.