snow-emergency parking nitpick?

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

a cop just drove down the street with a loudspeaker saying to move cars off the even side of the street lest they be towed.

i had thought (and many years of watching the towing patterns seemed to bear this out) that even-side-only parking was only true for streets where odd-side parking was actually available.

anyone have an authoritative reference for this?

Comments

[ron_newman]

I don't know the answer to this, but I posted your question as a comment on the city's official Facebook announcement of the snow emergency, and hope they'll answer it there.

[ron_newman]

The city posted this answer:

"If a street is even-parking only, residents should continue to park on the even side unless otherwise posted."

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

thank you for the followup. you might want to mention pywaket's observation to them as well, since it appears that the folks in police cars are unaware of that point.

[ron_newman]

Done, but after this point I'm going to step out of the conversation and suggest that you two continue it on the Facebook thread if you wish.

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

thanks again.

[ron_newman]

one more reply from the city, on the Facebook thread: "The general policy is that cars need to move to the odd-side of the street, but on streets with only even-side parking cars can stay on that side (unless another policy is posted on parking signs). If someone on one of those streets gets a ticket, they can appeal it. Tickets can also be issued for other violations, like parking too close to an intersection or fire hydrant."

[ron_newman]

and one final reply there:

"Hi Ron, Just spoke to the interim Director of Traffic and Parking. All cars on Kidder Ave., which is normally an even-side-only street, should park only on the even side during a snow emergency. If anyone received a ticket for parking on the odd side of Kidder, they should call the T&P Director, Suzanne Rinfret, directly on Monday and she will make sure it is dismissed. Call the City's main number and ask to be transferred 617-625-6600. As for other even-side-only streets. During an emergency, you still park on the even side unless otherwise posted."

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

What's the granularity? For example, Park Street normally has parking on both sides south of the railroad tracks, but only on the even side north of the tracks. http://goo.gl/maps/m2nQC (Permit-only even though it's mostly industrial, and very lightly used since the permit regulations went up in 2010, but that's a separate rant.)

Does that mean even-side parking is allowed on those blocks during a snow emergency?

[ron_newman]

the latest copy of the regulations that I can find, page 44, say that you can stay on the even side if parking is always prohibited on the odd side "for a minimum of a full block".