Snow emergency

[easy-wind.livejournal.com]

If you are as outraged as me about the City of Somerville handing out $50 parking tickets for violating a snow emergency when... THERE WASN'T A FLAKE OF SNOW ON THE GROUND, I encourage you to write to Mayor Curtatone to express your views:

JCurtatone@ci.somerville.ma.us

Comments

the new snow emergency policy

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

...can be found here, as someone posted last night: http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/whatsnew/view_item.asp?id=479

The text, for those who aren't in the mood to follow the link:

City of Somerville Snow Emergency Plan
Please be advised of a new snow emergency plan effective immediately. It is every resident’s responsibility to know when a
snow emergency is declared and when it has been lifted. You may find this information on the local television and radio channels, as well as 15 and 16, and Somerville Community Access Television. The following policy will be strictly enforced during a declared
snow emergency:

• A snow emergency may be declared whenever 4 or more inches are predicted to fall. It will be called 6 hours before a storm is predicted to begin.
• Somerville police will announce from their vehicles that residents have 4 hours to move their cars to the odd side of the street. Parking on the even side of the street during a snow emergency is strictly prohibited, unless otherwise posted.
• Towing will commence IMMEDIATELY after the 4-hour period has elapsed.
• Plowing will begin after 2 inches of snow has fallen. Main roads, cross town streets, bus routes, and “hospital hills” will
be done first. The intent of the city is to plow wherever possible, up to the curb.
• If you do not have access to off-street parking, residents may use the following locations during a snow emergency.

Schools:
• Ward 1 East Somerville Community School and Michael E. Capuano School
• Ward 2 Lincoln Park Community School
• Ward 3 Cummings School
• Ward 4 Healey School
• Ward 5 Brown School and Kennedy School
• Ward 6 Powder House Community School
• Ward 7 West Somerville Neighborhood School

Municipal Buildings and Lots:
• City Hall Concourse
• Central Library
• West Branch Library
• (All Municipal metered parking lots)

After the snow emergency has been lifted, your vehicle must be removed from the above locations within two hours. Vehicles are subject to towing after that time period.

*The intent of this severe snow policy is not to create inconvenience for Somerville residents, but rather to ensure traffic runs smoothly and safety precautions are in place across the city in the event of a snowstorm. The city is confident this plan will ultimately result in residents receiving better government services in the event of a snowstorm. Thank you for your
cooperation."

[hauntmeister.livejournal.com]

Please remember that the weather forecast, at the time the snow emergency was declared, was for six inches to a foot of snow. Personally, I'm delighted that the weather changed and the snow got dumped on New York instead, and that Somerville is relatively clear of snow.

If, for some reason, you were physically unable to move your car when the emergency was declared, you have my full sympathy. If you weren't aware of the weather forecasts, or didn't know what to do in case of a snow emergency, or just didn't bother, you have my limited sympathy.

Fortunately, if you are in possession of weather forecast technology allowing the city at 10:00 PM on Tuesday to perfectly predict the amount of snowfall as of 10:00 AM on Wednesday, I'm certain you can sell it for a lot more than $50.

[panzerkunst.livejournal.com]

Is there any likelihood of success in contesting this ticket? I'm personally outraged about this, $50 is a LOT of money for me to just throw away. I checked the weather before I went to bed, they said 2-4 inches then, and it had only started falling when I left for work at 8:30 when I found the gift on my windshield. I'd much rather they ticket the arseholes who "save" spaces with chairs and such.

[penguin42.livejournal.com]

Man, that really sucks.

Whenever there's *any* chance of snow *at all* I try to make sure I'm on the even side of the street... just in case.

We're in the news

[krist10.livejournal.com]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/01/29/tickets_not_flakes_pile_up_in_somerville/

An article in today's Globe about this issue.

Our mayor looks like a bull-headed idiot. The decision to go ahead with snow emergency ticketing and towing even as the weather report was changing was ill-advised. It demonstrates very poor decision-making skills. And the mayor's unapologetic, and, frankly, rude attitude yesterday (to the news media and on behalf of the person representing him on the phone when I called) shows that he doesn't have conflict resolution skills either.

I'm contesting the ticket---I think a lot of people will be. The tickets aren't even valid when you look at the winter parking regulations (on the Somerville web site http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/, in the "traffic and parking" department site).

There it states:
"A snow emergency fine is $50. A citation is issued for the following violations:

* Obstruction of a snowplow.
* Parking within 10 feet of a fire hydrant or designated fire zone.
* Parking within 20 feet of an intersection."

As there were no snowplows on the road last night, I can't see how I was obstructing one.

As for whether a snow emergency has been called before snow fell, I was going on what my neighbor who has lived in Somerville for 50 years said. Maybe that's wrong. Perhaps what he meant was that they have never given out tickets and towed cars before any snow fell. Hauntmeister, if there is a time when the city has done THAT before, I hope you'll fill me in. It doesn't seem to me that there's any precedent for this. It is not consistent enforcement, as the mayor is claiming it is.