Snow Policies

If you are a resident on a main artery and had parked on a permit-only secondary street, please make sure to move your car after 3p.m.

When parking, especially on narrow side streets, please make sure to park as close to the curb as possible, and make sure that there is enough access on the street for emergency vehicles. If emergency vehicles are not able to access the street, your vehicle may be subject to ticketing and towing.

Please remember that, under City ordinance, property owners are required to shovel all sidewalks abutting your property within 6 daylight hours after the end of a storm. Snow cannot be shoveled into the street.

A Snow Emergency may be declared at the City’s discretion, generally when four or more inches of snow is predicted. City staff will monitor all available forecasts and information prior to declaring a Snow Emergency. If a Snow Emergency is declared, the City will announce this in several ways, including:

• Sending citywide Reverse911 phone calls, emails, and text messages. (Sign up for Alerts at www.medfordma.org/alerts)
• Posting information to the homepage of the City’s website
• Communicating through local media
• Posting on the City’s social media feeds. 

General Parking Information

During DECLARED SNOW EMERGENCIES, the City’s parking regulations are as follows:

• “Winter” is defined as the entire winter season, from November through March or April.
• There shall be no parking on any Emergency Artery throughout the declared snow emergency. (See below regulations)
• Winter parking restrictions on all other roadways will be in effect throughout the declared snow emergency.
• All violators will be subject to being ticket and towed.
• Permit Parking restrictions shall NOT be enforced throughout the declared snow emergency.

• If the winter begins in an odd year (for example, November 2021), cars may only park on the ODD side of the street unless there is an exemption. See below for exempted streets.
• If the winter begins in an even year (for example, November 2022), cars may only park on the EVEN side of the street unless there is an exemption.
• You may park in a city lot during snow emergencies, but your car must be moved by 7 a.m. the morning after the storm.
• Make sure your car is not blocking access for emergency vehicles or snow removal vehicles; emergency vehicles and snow removal vehicles need a minimum of 12 feet. Vehicles blocking access to emergency response will be subject to towing and a fine.
• Park your car at least 20 feet from the street corner so plows can push snow away from the crosswalks. Vehicles parking to close to an intersection will be subject to towing and a fine.
• Under City Ordinance, residents who have driveways, garages, or other off-street parking facility may not park on the street for a period of time longer than one hour between 12 a.m. to 7 a.m. and could face a fine.
• Any motor vehicle parked on a public way for a period of 48 consecutive hours without being moved is subject to towing and a fine.

During DECLARED SNOW EMERGENCIES, there is NO PARKING on designated Emergency Arteries (see below). Please read posted signage and avoid parking in these areas. Cars on these streets during snow emergencies will be towed. The following streets are designated as Emergency Arteries:

• Boston Avenue
• Central Avenue
• College Avenue from George Street to Boston Avenue
• Forest Street
• Fulton Street
• George Street
• Governors Avenue
• Grove Street
• Hadley Place
• Hancock Street
• Harvard Avenue
• Harvard Street
• High Street
• Lawrence Road
• Main Street
• Medford Street
• Mystic Avenue from Main Street to Crescent Street
• Playstead Road
• Riverside Avenue
• Salem Street
• Spring Street
• Washington Street
• Webster Street
• Willis Avenue
• Winthrop Street
• Woburn Street

The following streets are STATE ROADS. The City of Medford does not enforce parking on these streets. Please visit the DCR website, here, for the state’s snow emergency parking regulations.

• Fellsway
• Fellsway West
• Route 16 / Mystic Valley Parkway
• Elm St.
• Highland Ave
• South Border Road
• East Border Road
• Woodland Road
• Mystic River Road

Parking Regulations – Exemptions

During DECLARED SNOW EMERGENCIES, cars may park ONLY on the EVEN side of the street on secondary roads (because this winter began in an even year – 2022), unless your street was granted an exemption by the Traffic Commission (see below). Cars parked on the odd side during snow emergencies will be towed. on these streets during snow emergencies will be towed. Exempted streets are

• Alexander Ave: #117 thru #145 odd side parking every year
• Auburn St: High St. to Prescott St., park on residence side
• Bennett St: odd side parking every year
• Bennett Pl: odd side parking every year
• Bow St: #14 thru #52 even side parking every year
• Brooks Park: parking on residence side only
• Gaston St: odd side parking every year
• Hillsdale Rd: Osgood to Somerville line – odd side parking every year
• Lookout Rd: even side parking every year
• Maple Ave: odd side parking every year
• Metcalf St: even side parking every year
• Newburn Ave: #74 thru #86 even side parking every year
• Second St: Bradbury to Middlesex – parking on residence side every year
• Third St: Bradbury to Middlesex – parking on park side every year
• Touro Ave: odd side parking every year
• Wellesley St: Main to Dartmouth – even side parking every year.

TOW COMPANY INFORMATION

Export Tow – 50 Mystic Avenue, Medford. 781-395-0808

Stephen’s Automotive Transport – 60 Union Street, Medford. 781-396-8697

Generally, cars located and towed east of Medford Street, east of Main Street, east of Forest Street to the Malden/Somerville line will be towed by Export Tow. Cars located and towed west of Medford Street and Main Street, west of Forest Street to the Somerville/Winchester/Arlington lines will be towed by Stephen’s Automotive Transport.

PARKING AND TOW COMPLAINTS

We thank everyone for their expected cooperation during a snow emergency. The authority to issue citations and the authority to tow a motor vehicle lies solely with the Medford Police Department.

If you have a complaint related to a citation or a tow please contact the Medford Police Department Traffic Division at traffic@medfordpolice.com.

We ask that you please refrain from complaining or arguing with the Tow Company employees, the City of Medford Parking Department or the Mayor’s Office and staff. These entities have no control over who is issued citations or which vehicles are towed.

OTHER PERTINENT LAWS

Any motor vehicle parked on a public way for a period of 48 consecutive hours without being moved is subject to towing and a fine. Please do not leave your vehicle snow bound.

ALSO, no public parking spaces may be reserved or saved. Saving a parking space is a sensitive subject in many neighborhoods. Officially, no objects can be placed on a City street to reserve a parking spot.  The Medford Police Department suggests the public exercise due restraint, fairness and common sense over disputed PUBLIC parking spaces. During snow emergencies, we will not have the resources to remove items from the street so we please ask you all to comply with the ordinance.