Huzzah! Somerville snow emergency parking ban ends tomorrow at 8 am

[ron_newman]

Hello, this is Mayor Joe Curtatone with the message we’ve all been waiting for. The City’s longest snow emergency in history[*] is coming to an end as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, March 11, and I have important updates for you, so please read this full message.

As of 8 a.m. Wednesday, cars may park on both sides of the street unless otherwise posted. HOWEVER, to ensure emergency access, drivers must leave 12-feet of clearance between their car and the car parked opposite them or they may be ticketed and towed. Despite DPW’s massive snow removal effort to clear the even sides of nearly all of our streets, some streets remain narrow, especially for emergency vehicles to pass, and we will enforce the 12-foot regulation to ensure public safety. Crews will also be back for targeted snow removal on some streets, which will be posted in advance.

All cars must also be cleared of snow by 8 a.m. Friday or may be ticketed and towed. Additionally, all meters will go back into effect at 10 a.m. Wednesday, and residents parked in municipal parking lots will have until 10 a.m. to move their cars from the lots.

We may be ending the parking ban, but the broader cleanup from these historic storms is just getting underway. Crews are already out patching potholes and will be intensifying their efforts. Damages to signs, curbs, trash cans, meters and more will require repairs, and we will continue to clear catch basins. Finally, turf experts will be assessing when we can safely use our sports fields. In short, we have more work to do. Thank you all for your support during the winter we’ll never forget. Here’s looking forward to spring.

* Ed. note by RN - this one started at 10 am on February 8, in advance of the third big snowstorm, which means it will last a couple hours short of 31 days!

Comments

[bettyw.livejournal.com]

FYI Arlington just lifted their ban, though they caution that it's still illegal to park if it leaves less than 10 feet to bypass the vehicle.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

I'm a little surprised that Somerville is making a 12-foot lane rule. I thought the standard state law was 10 feet.

In fact, while the Somerville parking code says 12 feet, its schedule of fines only includes an entry for "Leaving less than 10 ft. Passage". http://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/RecAndYouth/TrafficRegJul10.pdf

[frotz.livejournal.com]

The text of the regulation itself calls for not parking "Upon any roadway where the parking of a vehicle will not leave a clear and unobstructed lane at least twelve (12) feet wide for passing traffic."; I imagine they updated one and not the other at some point.

The "12 inches from curb" rule could also be applied all over the place.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't be surprised if there were streets which officially allow parking on both sides, but have less than a 12-foot lane even in non-snow conditions. 12 feet is a really wide lane for a local urban street.

[ron_newman]

Perhaps, but many of these are two-way streets.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

Somerville has some "yield streets" -- two-way streets that aren't wide enough for two moving cars to pass in spots where cars are legally parked on both sides (even in non-snow conditions). They'd never be allowed to be built today, but they work very well if your goal is to have a quiet neighborhood street.

[ron_newman]

Which I think are fine (and should still be built today), but on those especially you need the full 12 feet clear.