How close can you park to driveways?

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

I'm not one to ask without googling. I've been googling this for a couple of hours and I come up with nothing.

How close are you allowed to park to the curb cut of someone's driveway?

I ask because someone on my street keeps parking in a way that slightly overhangs my driveway. I'm no stickler but our driveway is really narrow and it's got a big tree on one edge so it's difficult enough getting out without this car making it harder.

I thought it was a couple of feet. I can't find any citation of this anywhere online. I'd like to find the citation because I'd like to leave a polite note asking this person to stop overhanging my driveway and attach the bit of parking law that's relevant.

Thanks for any help you've got.

Comments

[lizzielizzie.livejournal.com]

http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/CoS_Content/documents/TrafficRegApr07.pdf

Section 5.1 says within 2 feet on either side of a private driveway.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

Rather than citing the law, maybe just a friendly little note pointing out that by parking that way, they're making it really difficult for you to get out and asking them to pull forward a little more. Starting off citing law is just asking to get your vehicle keyed or tires slashed by unknown parties.

[damsel-ophelia.livejournal.com]

ya beat me to it :) nice icon BTW!

[lizzielizzie.livejournal.com]

heehee, thanks!

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I swear I was all over the City of Somerville website and the RMV web site and found nothing. Thank you!

[damsel-ophelia.livejournal.com]

I was trying to find that citing, I knew the rule just not where to find it. Thankfully, the answer to THIS question didn't involve sitting through "Signal 30" or "Highway of Death" (oh come now, surely I can't be the only one who remembers these!)

[kpht.livejournal.com]

i think the contrary - people will be like "fuck this guy, i don't *have* to move, it's his problem". i think worded correctly, saying that it's illegal but you'd rather not ever have to call the cops would be more effective than asking nicely, because people are assholes.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

I'm off the opposite mind. Not all people are assholes and you can always play the George Bush card later and be a complete dick if that's how they choose to play.

[grapefruiteater.livejournal.com]

I think if you assume your neighbors are assholes, and start treating them that way, it's more likely they will start acting like assholes. A polite note should do the trick, and whether you cite the law specifically or not is your choice. A few months ago, someone kept parking right next to my driveway AND in a bus stop. I left a polite note pointing out that they were parked illegally and dangerously, and I haven't seen the car there since. Nor has anyone vandalized my house.

[lizzielizzie.livejournal.com]

I must have strong google-fu, then, because I searched on "parking regulations MA somerville" and it was the 2nd or third listing. :-)

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

That was my idea -- to explain nicely how it affects me but also politely let them know that they're breaking the law.

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

Based on another Somerville friend's experience, they'll only tow if you're blocked in and need to leave. They won't tow if they're blocking your driveway and you can't get in. I've never seen anyone ticketed for it in almost 20 years of living here, but I've seen plenty of people partially or totally block driveways.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

I think my main fault was that I included "driveway" in all my searches and it muddied the waters.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

I was ticketed back in 2003 for blocking my OWN driveway and when I appealed it they still said I had to pay!

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

Sweet! ;-)

We have a regular thing on Friday where one of the visitors blocks the (above mentioned) driveway and the Meter Man walks by it every time. We've been doing it for at least four or five years.

I haven't seen most of the Article V stuff enforced. On my street it is more rare to NOT have some parked on the sidewalk (for weeks sometimes) and the only ticketing I've seen has been for parking in the wrong direction, cleaning day, and parking without a sticker.

[bgum.livejournal.com]

It's an inverse issue on my street. I always make sure to leave 2 feet in front or in back, and most areas between driveways allow parking for 1.7 (or so) vehicles in this situation. Lately an area resident has been putting notes on cars telling us to pull forward so 2 cars can fit in these spots, but this would technically violate regulations, though last week numerous cars were parked right up against or even partially blocking driveways. No matter how you park in this city, you're guaranteed to stir someone's anger.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

No matter how you park in this city, you're guaranteed to stir someone's anger.

WINNER!

[teratomarty.livejournal.com]

Yes, but going to the RMV seeking help is like going to Hell seeking doughnuts and coffee. Somerville's website is unhelpful, but the RMV is actively hostile.

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

Me too! Just this year.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

Nothing ticks me off more than seeing a Mini Cooper taking up the whole 'between driveways' slot. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of owning a tiny car?

On Josephine Ave., we encourage squeezing 2 cars a spot as long as you don't overhang the driveway.

[danger-chick.livejournal.com]

When I lived in Davis, I would just call the cops and have them towed. (I think I must have had that same driveway with the tree on one side.) The cops put a ticket on the car and call the towing agency. It's super-mean, but it looks like to the car owner that the cops noticed the violation first. It also solved the problem. Granted, my offender would park in half of my driveway, so there was usually no way to get around the car.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

"We" meaning "we on-street parkers" or everyone? Obviously people who park on-street want to squash as many cars in as possible ... folks with driveways might think differently.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

Actually I have a driveway and as long as people are considerate (meaning that they don't make it really hard to get out of the driveway), I don't resort to the notes. Some of the neighbors even got 'tickets' made up to tell folks to move up. It's about the symbiosis. I get irritated when people don't use the space better, but I also want you to keep your dog poop out of my yard, so I may just be irrational.

Most of the driveway owners would prefer limited cars on the street period, but since many of us are owner-landlords, we don't want life to be too miserable for the tenants who have to park on the street.

Leave a note, then get <i>Traffic and Parking</i> involved

[lentower.livejournal.com]

My suggestions:

1) print out the above cited ordinance, and put a note on it asking the driver's to stop blocking your driveway.

2) if he doesn't stop, call the Traffic and Parking department, and suggest they send one of there parking ticketing enforcers by at the right time of day, every day.

Traffic and Parking
133 Holland Street
Somerville, MA 02144
311 (617-666-3311 from outside of Somerville)
Acting Director, James Kotzuba
Hours: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am - 12 noon

from: http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/Department.cfm?dept=TRAFFIC

best -len

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

I wish I had a driveway.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't the most direct appeal be to his car's safety? "Dude, you're parking so close to our driveway that I'm worried your car might get hit. If you could make sure you're pulled up a little farther, we'd all breathe a little easier."

[ratatosk.livejournal.com]

Unless you have some reason to believe otherwise, I think it's fair to assume that your neighbor does not actually want to block you in or out. I think most people really do want to be decent people and good neighbors (I also agree with the posters who said that for many/most people, yelling at them or calling the cops will utterly eliminate any sense of obligation on their part to do things for you out of good will).

As other posters noted, it can be a real pain to get your car in a spot that both doesn't block the driveway and doesn't take up to spaces (I admit to finding it hard, at least).

Instead of all these social engineering solutions, though, why not try a technical one? If you assume that people want to park reasonably but suck at it, it seems like it would help to paint lines on the street or put marks on the curb.

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

Others have already posted most of the suggestions I would have offered, but I thought I'd offer an FYI regarding the last comment. I believe that painting parking lines on the street or curb would actaully be illegal. So, while it may temporarily solve your problem, it could land you in hot water! I have also seen evidence of the campaign to park 2 cars in a 1-car spot. People are being encouraged to do this even though as was pointed out, it almost always creates an illegal parking situation and is dangerous for everyone's vehicle.