City of Cambridge Snow Operations Updates

Parking Ban lifted as of 7 am on February 18; Snow Operations Continue

Cambridge, MA—Feb. 17, 2015 — Cambridge’s Snow Emergency Parking Ban will be lifted Wednesday, February 18 at 7 a.m. Residents currently parked at Cambridgeside Galleria Parking Garage Levels 4 or 5, and at the City's First Street Parking Garage can stay for free until Sunday, February 22 at 8 p.m. After that, they can opt to stay and pay regular fees. Exit information for other off-street parking locations is available at Cambridgema.gov. Additionally, any city resident with a 2015 residential parking permit issued by the Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department can park for free at the Cambridgeside Galleria Parking Garage on Levels 4 or 5 until February 22 at 8 pm.

Due to current snow conditions, some streets may remain posted with temporary no parking signs if public safety assessments determine it is necessary. The public is encouraged to check for signs prior to parking their vehicle to ensure they are not in a space marked as no parking and to ensure their vehicle is not blocking a 10 foot wide travel lane.

A team of operators using bobcats, loaders, and dump trucks are continuing to removing piles of snow, most particularly on corners and on dead-ends. Not all snow on streets at this time can be removed, but clearing is done to ensure emergency vehicle access.

Removal and hauling of snow is primarily an overnight operation due to traffic challenges during the day. We apologize for the additional noise that overnight snow operations may cause in neighborhoods. This work is expected to take numerous evenings to complete, and may continue into next week. We ask for the public’s continued patience with this necessary nighttime work. Pedestrian-focused snow clearing efforts in squares and along City buildings and parks has been in effect, concurrent with plowing operations.

Due to the President’s Day Holiday, this week’s trash/recycling collection is one day behind schedule. If your trash/recycling is not collected, please leave it out an additional day for crews to pick up. Please call Public Works with any questions, 617.349.4800.

The public is asked to keep the following safety tips in mind due to current snow conditions:

• Large piles of snow will impact visibility. Drivers should look out for pedestrians and cyclists; 
• Cyclists and pedestrians should remain aware of their surrounding and be visible to traffic; 
• Park at least 20 feet from street corners so plows can push snow away from crosswalks; 
• Help the Fire Department by clearing fire hydrants in your neighborhood; 
• Make sure children do not play or dig tunnels or igloos on snow piles along the side of the road; 
• Keep exhaust and air intakes on your vehicle clear of snow to prevent possible carbon monoxide issues. Additionally, check that any furnace or drier vents on your residence is clear of snow.

For current information on snow operations visit Cambridgema.gov. Updates are also available on Twitter at @CambMA and Facebook at CambridgeMA.Gov. The City is utilizing the hash tag #CambMASnow on Twitter to help the public follow the conversation.

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Cambridge Snow Operations Overview & Update Feb. 16, 2015

Cambridge Snow Emergency Parking Ban remains in effect until further notice. 
City offices and programs will be open on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
Rubbish/recycling will be one day behind schedule this week due to President’s Day.

War Memorial will be Closed Tuesday, Feb. 17 but will reopen on Wednesday, Feb. 17.
Free parking will be available for patrons in the Rindge and Latin underground parking lot on Ellery Street.  Door 15 will remain the primary entrance for the building.

In light of the nearly 90 inches of snow that Cambridge has received over the past three weeks, the City is taking extraordinary measures in order to maintain emergency vehicle access to all roadways.  This includes:  

* Removal and hauling operations to widen main arteries, secondary streets and dead-ends prioritized by public safety officials;

* Converting certain two-way streets to temporary one-way streets; and

* Maintaining the snow emergency parking ban until further notice.

1) Removal and Hauling Operations
Crews resume snow removal and hauling operations throughout Cambridge Monday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m.  The City expects to have over 100 pieces of equipment on the road at this time.  In addition to prioritized main arteries, crews will be addressing secondary streets and dead-ends as identified by public safety officials. 

What does this operation involve?
A team of operators will use bobcats, loaders, and dump trucks to remove piles of snow, most particularly on corners and on dead-ends.  Not all snow on a street will be removed, but clearing will be done to ensure emergency vehicle access. Removal and hauling is primarily an overnight operation due to traffic challenges during daytime hours, though certain locations may be done during the day if feasible.  This work is expected to take numerous evenings to complete, and may continue into next week.

How are streets selected for this operation?
Streets are selected for removal based on consensus by Public Works, Police, Fire, Emergency Communications, and Traffic & Parking that widening the street is critical for maintaining emergency access, and that standard plowing and salting operations is insufficient to achieve that access. The purpose of these operations is to ensure emergency vehicle access.  Given the huge volume of snow, the City is unable to provide removal and hauling at all streets.

2) Converting certain two-way streets to temporary one-way streets
Public safety officials are evaluating certain two way streets that have been narrowed due to snow, and will be converting some of these to temporary one-way streets.  The City expects to begin this program in East Cambridge in the next several days, and potentially expand to other streets as feasible.  Additional details about program will be posted once finalized.

3) Maintaining the snow emergency parking ban until further notice.
A citywide parking ban began at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14 and will remain in effect until public safety officials determine it is safe to lift the ban.  We thank residents for their cooperation in helping us to keep roadways clear. 

We also thank local garages that have partnered with us to offer residents parking during these repeated snow emergencies.  Please note that Green St Garage, First St. Garage and the 50 Oxford St. Garage are currently full.  Please click here for parking during parking bans.

Public Safety Is Our Top Priority
Despite the challenging weather conditions we face, the City has devoted the personnel and resources necessary to maintain public safety.  We will continue snow clearing efforts into the coming week and beyond.

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Cambridge, MA – Feb. 15, 2015 – Cambridge Snow Emergency Parking Ban remains in effect until public safety officials determine that it is safe to lift the ban.  City offices/libraries will be closed Monday, Feb. 16 for Presidents’ Day holiday and there will be no programs and no trash/recycling pickup. Routes will be one day behind schedule for the remainder of the week.

According to the National Weather Service, we are in the midst of the snowiest month, and the third snowiest winter, on record for the Boston area.  Four major snowstorms, including two blizzards, between Jan. 26 and Feb. 15 have dropped nearly 90 inches of snow. 

Cambridge City officials are sending out this special operations update to assure the community that despite the challenging weather conditions we face, the City has devoted the personnel and resources necessary to maintain public safety.  We will continue snow clearing efforts into the coming week and beyond.

Overview of City Snow Operations this Winter
Since the first major storm last month, representatives from the City Manager’s Office, Department of Public Works (DPW), Fire, Police, Emergency Communications, Traffic and Parking, Water, Electrical, Public Health and Human Services have been coordinating closely on snow operations planning and implementation.  Daily team meetings are held to review weather forecasts, streets conditions, traffic and parking concerns, equipment performance, snow hauling operations schedule, and much more. DPW crews have worked nearly continuously for the past several weeks salting, plowing, and hauling snow.

Public Safety Is Our Top Priority
During and after major snow storms, the City’s primary priority is to maintain access for emergency vehicles to all roadways.  This is accomplished by proactively salting streets, pushing back snow as close to the curb as possible during and after a storm, and applying additional salt as needed.  Snow emergency parking bans are a key part of this effort, as they allow us to clear wider expanses along major arteries and heavily trafficked but narrow streets.

The condition of major arteries and secondary streets is continually assessed by numerous City departments, including Police, Fire, and Traffic and Parking.  Parking bans along certain streets may be put into effect after the citywide parking ban ends if public safety assessments determine this is necessary.  In the days following each major storm, Public Works Engineering staff repeatedly inspect every dead end street to confirm emergency vehicle access.

Public Works plowing and snow removal operations are prioritized based on all of these public safety assessments.  Other high priority safety issues the City addresses includes the removal of snow piles that limit visibility and pedestrian access at intersections, starting with intersections along major streets, clearing snow around fire hydrants, and snow removal from high volume bus routes and stops.  DPW also clears high priority pedestrian routes in squares and along public schools, public buildings, and parks starting during a storm and continuing for days after.                                                                                         

On Saturday, Feb. 14, DPW crews conducted salting/plowing operations, utilizing over 150 pieces of equipment. This work continued throughout Sunday and a major snow removal and hauling operation is scheduled to begin the afternoon of Feb. 16. Pedestrian-focused snow clearing efforts in squares and along City buildings and parks have been in effect, concurrent with plowing operations. 

The City has been in contact with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), and has requested additional equipment from MEMA to help with snow removal and hauling efforts.  City staff continue to assess the conditions of roadways, and will consider the need to convert two-way streets temporarily to one-way on a case-by-case basis.  The City’s Inspectional Services Department is actively inspecting potentially hazardous ice on private buildings overhanging the public way. 

Looking Ahead This Week
Extremely cold temperatures are expected over the next couple days, and additional snow fall is expected on Tuesday into Wednesday.  The City’s plowing, hauling and removal will continue on roadways and pedestrian areas well into the coming week.  The parking ban remains in effect until public safety officials determine that it is safe to lift the ban. 

How Residents Can Help
Cambridge residents have been extremely patient throughout these past few weeks for which we are extremely appreciative.  While City crews continue to work tirelessly during all hours of the day, we thought it would be appropriate to share some tips on how the public can assist with snow removal efforts: 

• Avoid unnecessary driving during and immediately following major snow storms.
• Drive safe, ride safe, walk safe, and play safe.  
  • With large snow piles at corners, visibility may be impacted and pedestrian access limited.  Drivers should be on the lookout for pedestrians and cyclists, cyclists and pedestrians should remain aware of their surrounding and be highly visible to traffic, and everyone should make sure children do not play on snow piles along the side of the road.
• Park at least 20 feet from the street corners so that plows can push snow away from crosswalks.
• Reach out to neighbors who are elderly, have a disability, or may have difficulty shoveling.
• Help the Fire Department by clearing fire hydrants on your neighborhood streets.
• As snow starts to melt, try to clear street drains to reduce ponding and icy patches.

Residents with concerns about snow removal can contact the Department of Public Works at 617.349.4800. Public Works is experiencing a high volume of calls and emails about snow removal city-wide, so we thank you in advance for your patience in awaiting their reply. 

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