Non-lawyer here, can't figure out how Somerville gets away with $100+ parking fines

[sparr0.livejournal.com]

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section20A and https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section20A1~2 appear to be the two options a MA city has when instituting regulations by way of a traffic commission and parking clerk. They differ slightly. One allows mailing of tickets, establishes default fine amounts if a city passes none, and has a $25 ticket limit ($100 for bus stops), the other a $50 ticket limit ($100 for bus stops and fire hydrants). One has some extra requirements specific to Boston and Cambridge.

So, how is it that the Somerville Traffic Commission has multiple $100 and $200 fines on their books?

(EDIT: I've struck out the fines that comments below have found legal justification for)

Bus Stop $100 90 MGL 20A / 90 MGL 20A 1/2
Obstructing Posted Fire Lane $100 89 MGL 7A
Obstructing Handicap Ramp $200 40 MGL 22A
Within 10 ft. of Hydrant $100 90 MGL 20A 1/2 only, does not apply to cities that mail tickets to people
Handicapped Parking $200 40 MGL 22A
Declared Snow Emergency:
Tow Zone/Obstructing Snow Plow $100
Within 10 ft. of Hydrant/Designated Fire Lane $100 covered above
Within 20 ft. of an Intersection $100

(and this is assuming they never mail parking tickets to people, which would make the list of problematic ticket amounts much longer)

I expect that there are further statutes allowing some of these, specifically. I would not be surprised to find a state statute allowing exorbitant fines for handicapped parking violations. However, I can't find any of them. Help?

Comments

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

There are several existing tools in state law they could have used. For example, make the critical corners a Fire Lane or No Stopping Zone, with higher fines for those than for No Parking zones.

Yes, putting up signs has a cost. But I have trouble thinking of a more worthy thing than preventing fire trucks from getting stuck in an emergency (if we're assuming that's what 20' tickets are actually about -- there are plenty of places where parking 10 feet from the corner doesn't obstruct anything).

The city had no trouble suddenly coming up with the funds to post the entire length of every unrestricted block in the city with Resident Parking signs 3 years ago (about half the total street mileage). They could have piggybacked the corner signs onto that project.

Or they could do what Cambridge does: post the ones that actually matter, and show some leniency at the others.