By Car

Cars driving next to bike lane

The City of Cambridge has a robust program to make it safe and convenient for you to get around on foot, by bike, on transit, and by ridesharing. We created these programs to improve the quality of life in the city, to meet our climate and environmental goals, and to preserve our limited roadway capacity and parking supply. See the links to the left about getting around Cambridge without your car.

But we recognize that there are times when some people will need to drive. If you plan to drive to and around Cambridge, this information will make your trip easier.

Rules of the Road

  • The first place to look for information on driving rules in Massachusetts is MassDOT's Drivers Manual.
  • Obey the speed limit. The speed limit in Cambridge is now at a default speed of 25 miles per hour unless otherwise marked. Speeding significantly increases the severity of injury to a pedestrian or bicyclist.

Parking

Electric cars

Safety

There are many pedestrians in Cambridge. Please note the following:

  • Pedestrians always have right of way in all crosswalks. If a pedestrian is at a crosswalk, you must stop to allow them to cross.
  • Almost all signals operate "concurrently" meaning that pedestrians are permitted to cross in the same direction that cars are allowed to travel. So you must yield to them on turns.
  • When stopping at a red light or stop sign, drivers must stop at the stop bar and not block the crosswalk.

There are also many bicyclists in Cambridge. Click here learn how to coexist with bicyclists on our roads, and why it's important. There are three important practices to keep in mind:

  • Always look before opening your car door! Besides hurting a bicyclist, you should note that within the City of Cambridge, it is illegal to open your car door into a cyclist and is punishable by law. Click here for a poster.
  • Make safe turns: always look over your right shoulder before making a right turn! Click here for a poster.
  • Don't park in bike lanes! Click here for a poster.

For more information

Click here for the Traffic, Parking & Transportation website which has information about:

  • Parking regulations specific to the City of Cambridge
  • Permit parking regulations
  • Parking tickets
  • All about traffic signals and pedestrian signals
  • Truck routes and restrictions

For more information, please contact Environmental and Transportation Planning Division, 617/349-4600.

For more information on going carless, carshare, or carpool, please check out CitySmart by Car. CitySmart Logo