Remove all bicycles from Memorial Day parade route by 9 am Sunday!

[ron_newman]

If your bicycle is locked to a bike rack, street sign, or parking meter anywhere along the Memorial Day parade route, you must remove it by 9 am Sunday. Otherwise the city DPW will remove and impound it (presumably at the DPW yard on Franey Road).

The parade starts at 1 pm Sunday at Somerville High School, runs down Highland Avenue to Davis Square, then Holland Street to Teele Square, then west on Broadway to the Veterans' Cemetery next to the former Johnnie's Foodmaster.

Here is Jackie Rossetti's full robo-call and e-mail about the parade:

Hello, this is Jackie Rossetti from the City of Somerville with information about street closures and parking restrictions related to the City’s Memorial Day Parade on Sunday, May 26th. The annual parade will step off from the City Hall Concourse at 1 p.m., continuing onto Highland Ave., Holland St., and Broadway in Teele Square, finishing at the Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery.

The following streets will be closed from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.:
• Highland Ave. from Walnut St. to School St.;
• Prescott and Putnam Streets, and Vinal Ave. from Summer St. to Highland Ave.;
• School and Walnut Streets from Medford St. to Highland Ave.;
• College Ave. from Morrison Ave. to Davis Square; and
• North St. from Powder House Blvd. to Broadway.

There will be no parking on the following streets from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday :

• Highland Ave., from Walnut St. to Davis Square;
• Holland St., from Davis Square to Teele Square;
• Broadway, from Holland St. to Route 16.

Please also note:
• There will be no parking on Highland Ave from School Street to Sycamore street beginning at 7am due to morning ceremonies.
• Bicycles locked to sign poles or bike racks along the route must be moved by 9 a.m. Sunday. Any bicycles remaining along the route will be removed and taken to DPW, for public safety reasons.
• MBTA bus routes 88 and 90 will not be in service from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• As usual for official holidays, there will be no trash pickup or street sweeping on Monday and all trash pickup schedules will be pushed to one day later for the full week. Parking meters will also not be in effect on Monday.

If you have any other questions, please call 311. Thank you.

Comments

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

The vast majority of parades in the Boston area and around the country don't have a no-parked-bikes rule. There's really no reason for it.

1) They didn't announce this 15 days ahead, which is how long you can lock your bike in Somerville.
2) Bikes don't get in anyone's way.
3) Even if we assume there's an increased risk of bike theft during a parade (which isn't actually the case -- who would saw through a lock during a parade?), that's no reason for the city to steal *all* the bikes.
4) The issue is not the length of the ban. It would be just as bad if it lasted only five minutes. The issue is the hassle and expense of having your lock cut and bike removed if you didn't hear about this, or are away and can't move your bike in time.