Somerville snow emergency: move cars by 2 pm Sunday (2/8)

[ron_newman]

The City is declaring a snow emergency effective at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8. During snow emergencies, parking is allowed on the odd-numbered side of the street only (unless otherwise posted). Cars not moved from the even-numbered side of the street by 2 p.m. Sunday may be ticketed and towed.

Residents may also park in any municipal or designated school parking lots. A portion of the Dilboy Stadium parking lot will also be available for residents during this storm. A map of available parking lots, and additional snow emergency information including a video message from the Mayor about the impending storm is available at http://www.somervillema.gov/snow .

Due to existing parking pressures, we strongly urge anyone with a driveway to use it and also consider sharing extra spots with friends and neighbors to help keep cars off of the streets for more effective cleaning.

With large amounts of snow already on the ground, this storm will present unique challenges, and we encourage you to stay informed by checking the City’s website and social media feeds for additional information throughout the storm. If you have any additional questions, please call 311 (or 617-666-3311 from a cell phone or outside the City).

Comments

[mem-winterhill.livejournal.com]

That's the first time I can remember them asking about sharing driveways. I was surprised when I heard that on the robocall.

Another storm-related tidbit came via email from Mark Niedergang the other day--this was news to me [note--this is future years, not the current time frame]:

[quote]Alternating Parking Sides during Snow Emergencies

There is some good news! The longstanding City policy of allowing parking only on the odd side of the street during a snow emergency, year after year, will be changed. Mayor Curtatone announced this week that the City will be moving to a system of alternating parking during the snow season, to take effect in future snow seasons. This is a long-overdue change. I have advocated since I became an Alderman a year ago for switching sides, odd and even, in alternate years so folks who live on the even side of the street do not have to bear an unfair share of the pain and the burden of cleaning up after snowstorms.
[/quote]

Housemate and I laughed, as we are on the odd side and can't figure out why the even side wants the extra feet of snow we have to shovel. But fine. Let's try it out.

[pywaket.livejournal.com]

I think you may have this backwards. On the even side of the street, you get to shovel your sidewalk, and then shovel it again to remove the massive amounts of snow that the plows push up on to it when they go by. Not only do you have to find room somewhere in your front yard for the snow that fell on the sidewalk, but also a bunch of snow from the street that you get stuck with due to the plows.

I'm not sure what "extra feet of snow" you're talking about is. Could you explain?

At least on the odd side, you have parked cars protecting the sidewalk that you are responsible for from the plows. I've lived in a number of houses in Somerville, on both even and odd sides, and it's much, much easier on the odd side.

Of course, the street I live on now only allows even side parking all year 'round, so that's where the cars stay during snow emergencies, and the odd side ends up with the mess to deal with, but that's not the norm in Somerville.

[mem-winterhill.livejournal.com]

I know, this is the hilarious thing. I am quite sure you have it backwards. You on the even side think you have burdens, and we on the odd side think we do.

So when we shovel, we have to go about 8 feet out into the street, including a lot of the plow crap. We look across the street, and they have maybe half that. And of course, we have nowhere to put it, because people are parked along the street on our side. And when the car owners clear off, guess where their snow goes on the odd side?

I hear that you are pissed because the plows push stuff into your shoveled area. Well guess what--the plows also push stuff into our shoveled area--you know, that 8 feet? So we have to keep doing this over and over again, as they come back.

I have walked many sidewalks--including my own street lately--and I purposefully went down both sides. The odd side was way worse on my street. And many other streets I walk I don't see the difference in the banks.

So I can't wait to see if folks on the even side like this outcome. But even if they don't, at least it's fair to alternate.

[pywaket.livejournal.com]

I think you're reading too much into this. I have no dog in this fight, as I live on a street that only allows parking on one side. Frankly, I don't care what the city does.

I've lived in a number of houses in Somerville since I moved here, and thinking back over all of them, the even side was always much, much worse to deal with. That 8 foot plow berm in front of your driveway? Imagine it being 40 or 50 feet long, because that's what your whole sidewalk is going to look like. And you aren't required by the city to shovel the area on the street in front of your driveway so you won't get fined if you don't. Maybe you do, if you drive and your car isn't capable of going through that snow, but that's solely for your own convenience. And that's only if you have a driveway. Remember, a sizable percentage of the houses in our city don't even have driveways.

Maybe your street is that way, but it certainly hasn't been my experience.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I was trying to figure out why in the world anyone would shovel their sidewalk 8 feet out into the street, so thanks for clarifying here that mem was talking about driveways. I'm bemused that they felt it didn't need specifying.

(I have also lived on both even and odd sides in Somerville and in the places with a driveway, greatly preferred the odd side because it effectively meant an extra private parking spot in front of that driveway that nobody else could use.)

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

I'd just appreciate it if the plows would plow to the freaking curb the first time it snows.

They didn't in Ten Hills, and every time they come through, they go further and further out ... Maybe alternate side parking will get the roads cleared to the curbs?

[mem-winterhill.livejournal.com]

Well, seems to me it's important to be able to access the driveway to help the neighbors out as well. If I have to park my car in the street, because I don't clear out the driveway, that's an additional burden on the neighbor parking options.

But maybe you are right. I'll stop shoveling the driveway and park in the street. That sounds really helpful.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Do we have different definitions of "extra"? My definition is along the lines of "additional" whereas yours seems to be "alternate". Regional variation maybe.

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

Oh Hell Yes. This. SO MUCH this.