Hey, there! Log in / Register
He gets a streetcleaning ticket at 4 a.m.
By adamg on Mon, 10/24/2011 - 8:36am
Jeff Cutler got to his car on Broad Street downtown shortly before 8 a.m. today to find a $40 ticket for blocking a street-cleaning route. He shows us the lack of signs on the street, wonders how people are supposed to know not to park there.
Neighborhoods:
Topics:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
The lack of knowledge amongst Boston drivers is amazing.
http://www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/sweeping/
Where does it say ...
that you are required to check the web before you park somewhere?
MGLs DO say that the cities and towns have to PUT UP SIGNS! I parked in another MA city, got a ticket because "the university has maps" (I wasn't VISITING that university ...), fought the ticket, and then got a notice that a judge ordered every such ticket thrown out.
Lack of reading comprehension from snarky repliers is amazing
Hey Boston_res - Mr. Cutler was issued a ticket at 4am. The very page you ref'ed says:
"The City's Neighborhood Street Cleaning (Daytime) Program currently runs from April 1 through November 30."
Today is October 24th, which is, I think, still occuring before November 30th. Where, other than north of the Artic circle in July, is 4am considered "daytime"?
****
And check it out! That CoB.gov page script - is BROKEN! Yes, that's right kids, the page will not work correctly in several current versions of opera, safari or firefox!
First on the list:
http://www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/sweeping/?...
Says right there:
Broad St Central Artery - State St [Map] Everyday
12:01am - 7am
I'm sure some downtown streets get swept during the day, don't see it too often at all though. Twice every week, my neighborhood gets swept, and residents know not to park in the areas being cleaned. This all occurs, as the page says, between 12:01am and 7am.
Sure, signs are supposed to be posted. It's also the responsibility of drives to know what they can and cannot do.
I'm also using Firefox, and able to use the CoB website.
>> Sure, signs are supposed
>> Sure, signs are supposed to be posted. It's also the responsibility of drivers
>> to know what they can and cannot do.
No, it is not the responsibility of a driver to know the parking regulations on a given street absent any signs on said street.
Extending that argument, why don't we just remove all stop signs and speed-limit signs too, and have the state maintain a web site showing all the needed info.
It most certainly is your responsibility.
Especially if you're parking overnight. I don't know if he lives in the neighborhood or is just visiting. Anyone living in the neighborhood will do well to be involved and know what is happening where they live, and on the streets around where they live.
If he's a visitor, then it also makes sense to learn the local rules, laws and research any immediate events which might effect his visit.
Who honestly goes into a city or town blind of any local rules?
If someone pulls onto a street, especially downtown, and sees a great parking space, this is usually cause to be suspicious.
His ticket may be dismissed anyway since a contractor removed the signs.
Even the city says it screwed up
So you are wrong.
You were wrong anyway - or think Boston is a special, stand-alone planet or walled city.
Welcome to the United States.
Driver are NOT expected to have Internet access when parking!
Where do you get this idea that people are supposed to be consulting a web page before parking on a public street? Not everyone has a smartphone or even a dumbphone with them.
To be fair
Sweeping restrictions are supposed to be posted.
I parked on a road in Southie the other day, and thankfully the women working transportation detail stopped to tell me that the side of the Street I chose was street sweeping day.
There were no signs on my end / 1/2 of the road (either removed or never put up) under the 2 hour + resident parking signs posting. The only sign was one 1500 feet down the road on my side, in the opposite direction of where I was headed. I would have got docked if it wasn't for her being nice and letting me know.
Signs down due to construction
They just re-opened that portion of the street from the construction closure, and they're probably waiting until they finish the work all along that side of the street to go in and put up all the new signs.
So no, they probably shouldn't have given him the ticket, but in a couple of weeks when they close out the contract and put the signs up, it will be a no- parking overnight for cleaning the same way it was, and is on the other side of the street.
The city responds
The Mayor's Office of Constituent Engagement responded to Jeff through two tweets. In the first, they said he should appeal the ticket. In the second:
It's great that they respond
It's great that they respond to Twitter posts. But I hope they also give such good service to people who raise issues through traditional methods.
Also, an issue related to the original post: why do the Financial District and Government Center need street cleaning 7 nights a week? Once per week on each side of the street would be fine, and would allow people who live there to park or have overnight guests.
Good points but this looks
Good points but this looks like downtown Boston and that's different than the neighborhoods.
I was talking about downtown.
I was talking about downtown. There are residential buildings here and there around the Financial District, Waterfront, and Downtown Crossing. And thousands of people live in Charles River Park, whose perimeter streets have metered parking with a street cleaning ban every single night.
So move
So move
I don't live there
I don't live there myself.
But thanks for your non-support of my idea to make other people's lives easier.