Snow Information and Updates

Alert & Closings Information

  • A Snow Emergency Parking Ban will be lifted 7 am Wednesday, February 11.
  • City announces free temporary off street parking program for Cambridge residents. 
  • City Offices and Cambridge Public Schools will be open on Wednesday, February 11.
  • Curbside trash and recycling pick up will occur as scheduled*.

 Cambridge will be lifting the Snow Emergency Parking Ban at 7 am on Wednesday, February 11. Residents who are taking advantage of the free off street parking program will have until 9 am on Wednesday to exit the Green Street Garage and the One Kendall Square Garage before being charged. Residents parked at Harvard's 52 Oxford Street Garage and MIT's 65 Waverly Street lot must exit these locations by 9 AM.

Update for residents utilizing temporary free parking program through Sunday, Feb. 22 due to excess snowfall.
The City announced an extended free parking program at both Cambridgeside Galleria Parking Garage and the City's First Street Parking Garage through February 22 in recognition of the historic amounts of snow that Cambridge has received during the past few weeks, including the 18.5 inches of new snow that fell over the past few days.

*First Street Garage is Now Full.

*Cambridgeside Galleria is offering free parking until Feb. 22 in upper garage Levels 4 and 5 ONLY (enter on First Street at Sears). Effective Thursday, Feb. 12, vehicles parked in the lower garage (Levels A, B & C) will be asked to pay regular parking fees.

Residents with a valid 2015 City of Cambridge resident parking permit on their vehicle who are having difficulty finding street parking or are traveling for February school vacation week can participate in the extended free parking program at the Cambridgeside Galleria until Sunday, February 22 at 8 pm. Parking for this program at the Cambridgeside Galleria Parking is restricted to the upper garage, levels 4 and 5. The upper garage entrance is located on First Street, closest to Sears. Vehicles without a 2015 Cambridge resident parking permit will be charged full parking rates.

Residents currently parked in the First Street garage do not have to exit once the parking ban is lifted; however, resident who parked their vehicle at the Cambridgeside Galleria need to exit and reenter through the First Street entrance and park on levels 4 or 5.

In addition to this free short-term program, the City of Cambridge offers a year-round discounted parking program at the First Street Garage to Cambridge residents with a current City of Cambridge resident parking permit on their vehicles.

Even with plowing and snow removal, streets in Cambridge and the Greater Boston Area are getting narrower due to snow accumulation. Prior to traveling, residents are asked to ensure that snow is cleared from the top of their motor vehicle to create safer conditions for those travelers around you. Drivers should use their best judgment when considering whether to park in areas where large snow piles are still alongside the curb, to ensure they do not block the flow of traffic.

Any parked vehicle that obstructs a 10 foot wide safe travel lane will be ticketed and towed.

*Due to the large amount of snow received in the area, trash and recycling trucks may not be able to get to all streets scheduled for a given day. If this does happen, DPW asks residents to leave their trash/recycling out on the curb for pick up the following day. In the event the roadway conditions do not allow for trucks to access the roadway the following day, residents should remove all trash and recycling from the curb and place their contents curbside the following week on their regularly scheduled day.

Follow us on Twitter at @CambMA and Facebook at CambridgeMA.Gov for additional updates. Use #CambMASnow to follow the conversation

  

Press Releases

City of Cambridge Announces Parking Ban and Closures - (2/8/15 - 7:00 pm)

City of Cambridge Parking Ban Continues, City Offices Closed Feb 10. - (2/9/15 - 9:00 pm)

City of Cambridge Lifts Parking Ban, Announces Free Off Street Parking - (2/10/15 - 4:30 pm)

General Storm Information 

Updates:
Updates will be posted on this website, City social media sites, CityView Ch. 22, and also on the Traffic Dept. main line, 671-349-4700.  

Emergency Notifications:
Sign-up to receive notification of snow emergency parking bans at http://www.cambridgema.gov/AlertNetwork.

School Closings: Call 617-349-6513 or visit www.cpsd.us.

Hubway Bike Share System Updates: Call 1-855-448-2929 or Visit https://thehubway.com/news
Hubway wlll reopen Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 5 p.m.

Safety Tips from Cambridge Fire Dept:  

  • Help keep your family and neighbors safe by assisting in clearing snow from hydrants.
  • Parking is restricted at all times within 20 feet of an intersection; this is especially important during snow conditions.
  • Be aware that Fire, Rescue and EMS vehicles are larger than passenger cars. Leave adequate room for passage of Emergency vehicles on all right of ways.
  • Structures with direct vent boilers have exhaust and air intakes that need to be clear of snow to
    prevent possible carbon monoxide issues.

 

When Will Ban be Lifted? 
Once determined, ban lifted information will be sent to CodeRed subscribers, posted on the City of Cambridge Website, www.cambridgema.gov and on 22-CityView, and will be available via a recorded message during non-business hours and live assistance during business hours at the Traffic Department number, 617-349-4700.

Plowing Operations after the Storm: 
The Department of Public Works (DPW) will clear streets as soon as possible after a snow storm, starting with major arteries. Your patience and participation help the City return streets and sidewalks to safe, passable conditions as quickly as possible.

Property Owners Must Clear Ice and Snow from their Sidewalks:
City Ordinance requires property owners to remove snow from sidewalks next to their property or business within 12 hours of daytime snowfall and before 1 p.m. when it has fallen overnight. Property owners must also remove or melt all ice within 6 hours of the time it forms. There is a $50 fine for each day of non-compliance. If you are away, it is still your responsibility to ensure that someone clears sidewalks next to your property.

Remember to:

 

  • Shovel your sidewalk on all sides of your property, down to bare pavement
  • Clear snow to curb to avoid placing trash and recycling containers behind snow banks
  • Make path at least 3-4 feet wide (to enable wheelchair and/or stroller to pass through)
  • Clear ramps at corners and crosswalks
  • Clear snow off fire hydrants if the Fire Dept. hasn't already done so
  • Clear snow to curb so that collection crews can access your trash barrels and recycling toters and they are not behind snow banks.
  • Chop or melt all ice
  • Keep street drains clear of snow
  • Consider helping neighbors who may have difficulty clearing their walk.

 

Residents may not use objects such as trash/recycling barrels, furniture items or any other item to save parking spots on public streets. These items will be treated as trash and disposed of by DPW.

REPORT UNSAFE SIDEWALKS
Report it online at www.cambridgema.gov/snow or call the DPW Snow Hotline at 617-349-4903. You can also download Cambridge iReport app to you smartphone from www.cambridgema.gov/apps.

Snow Exemption Program
Disabled or elderly persons who qualify as low-income residents may be eligible for an exemption. Call the Cambridge Council on Aging, 617-349-6220 (voice) or 617-349-6050 (TTY) to learn more.

For more information, or to report an unshoveled or icy sidewalk, call 617-349-4903; use Cambridge iReport app on your smartphone or visit www.cambridgema.gov/snow.