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Snow - Our Winter Challenge
A Guide for Cambridge Property Owners and Residents
It's The Neighborly Thing To Do
Cambridge is committed to being a walkable city - even when it snows. Snow and ice make walking difficult for everyone, especially school children, mail carriers, elders, and T riders. In Cambridge almost everyone walks sometime.
As a Property Owner, You Should:
- Remove snow from all sidewalks next to your property or business within 12 hours after snow stops falling in the daytime, and before 1 PM when the snow has fallen during the night.
- Clear ice off sidewalks, or treat it with an ice-melting substance within 6 hours of the time it forms.
- Arrange for someone else to keep your sidewalks clear of ice and snow, if you go out of town.
- Dig out fire hydrants and catch basins.
- Always park your car at least 20 feet from the corners so plows can push snow away from crosswalks.
- If your home or business is on a corner, make openings in snow banks between the streets and sidewalks at crosswalks, street corners, and bus stops. Don't forget to shovel the side street sidewalks as well as the sidewalk in front of your business or home.
- If you are next to a crosswalk, please shovel an opening wide enough for a wheelchair-bound person to get through.
Enforcement
Violations of this ordinance are handled by the Public Works and the Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Departments. Enforcement will be greatly increased this year through the help of the Traffic Parking Control Officers. The fine for violation of this ordinance is $25.
The Department of Public Works Will:
Clear the streets as soon as possible. Our goals are to chemically treat all major arteries within 3 hours of when snow begins, starting with the most-traveled roads, to keep main arteries plowed during throughout a storm, and to clear all streets and the sidewalks bordering city property once a storm has stopped.
Please Don't Take it Personally
Pushing snow into a driveway opening or along a car parked on the street is often unavoidable as we work to keep streets passable. Don't throw snow from your sidewalks or driveway into the street, it's against the law! Don't leave old chairs, trash bags, or other objects in on-street parking spaces - they will be hauled away!
About That Ice
Stock up on ice melter before a storm. Use ice melter with calcium chloride. It's better for the environment and you only need a little. Avoid rock salt, it kills plants and trees. Avoid sand as it's expensive to clean up in the spring and fills catch basins and storm drains.
Useful Phone Numbers:
Council on Aging Snow Exemption Program: 617/349-6220
If you are elderly, disabled, or a homeowner with a low income you may qualify for the City's Snow Exemption Program. If you qualify, the Department of Public Works will shovel your sidewalk. To apply call the Council on Aging 617/349-6220. The Council on Aging can also provide you with a list of students who want to earn money by shoveling (you contact the student and negotiate a price) or a list of professional snow removal companies.
Sidewalk Snow Hotline: 617/349-4903
Call the Sidewalk Hotline anytime to report uncleared sidewalks. All you need is an accurate address. After a DPW inspector confirms a violation, a ticket is issued to the property owner.
Snow Emergency Parking Ban: 617/349-4700
When the City declares a snow emergency, you CANNOT park on the major streets where there are snow emergency signs or on one side of smaller streets as signed. Cars will be ticketed and towed to allow the plows to clear the snow back to the curb. You can find out when a ban goes into effect and when it will be lifted by calling 617/349-4700 or from your local radio or TV news station.
For More Information
More information about sidewalk snow clearance can be found at the DPW Winter Storm Information web page.
For more information about pedestrian programs contact Rosalie Anders, randers@cambridgema.gov, at 617/349-4604. The Community Development Department TTY line is 617/349-4621.
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