UPDATE: Changes to Boston Street Sweeping Schedules 2012
Seasonal street sweeping in Boston runs from April 1- November 30th each year. If your car is missing today, it may not be an April Fools joke. The Boston Transportation Department may have had it towed to make way for the street sweepers. In details below, we have links to help you locate your car if it is towed.
Fines and Fees for Street Sweeping Violations
In addition to a $40 parking ticket, car owners must also pay towing and storage fees. The city's website says of cars towed for street cleaning, "Before releasing the vehicle, the tow operator is entitled to $90 for the tow and $20/day for storage."
Why Does Boston Tow Cars for Street Cleaning?
Boston Transportation Commissioner Thomas J. Tinlin said, "Over the past several years, residents of Boston's neighborhoods have repeatedly expressed their desire for clean streets. It's a quality of life issue that cannot be accomplished without the cooperation of drivers, as parked cars prohibit street sweeping equipment from getting to the curb and cleaning streets effectively."
He continued, "For this reason, Boston's street cleaning regulations are strictly enforced. Motor vehicle owners who live in Boston, as well as those who are visiting, are strongly encouraged to heed the wishes of Boston's neighborhood residents and park accordingly."
Email Reminders Are Available
If signs are not enough and you'd rather have email reminders about street sweeping or to find out when certain streets are involved, you can go to the city's "Street Sweeping Lookup and No-Tow™ Registration" page.
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Details:
To locate a towed car
Boston Police Tow Line at 617-343-4629 or the Boston Tow Lot at 617-635-4677
City of Boston - page to find our when streets are swept and to register for reminders
http://www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/sweeping/
Towed car information:
www.cityofboston.gov/towing
Directions to the Tow Lot
http://www.cityofboston.gov/transportation/towdirections.asp
