The Apartment Blogger

Rather than talk about how painful parking in Boston, in particular, the neglected areas of South Boston during the snow season, I want to make a suggestion to city officials.

As we all know, in many neighborhoods in and around Boston, people who shovel their parking spot claim it with some sort of a marker.

Some of my favorites from this year:

1. an old TV - Really old
2. A mail box
3. Some twisted version of frosty the Snowman (This marker is for single-use only)

Although the rules of marking a spot require that the marker be removed 48 hours after a storm – the vast majority keep their marker until most of the snow melts and you can find a spot without having to trudge home from Castle Island.

This year I noticed two things that made the situation worse.

1. Snow removal was slow, late and insufficient with more snow and ice makes piled on top to add to the mayhem.
2. The city, without warning, decided to pay its workers to remove some markers at random.

Here is my suggestion:
Reinstate Street Cleaning Rules for one week, after a major snow event, to facilitate snow removal. And I mean removal by wheel loader and dump truck. Why are workers being paid to remove markers instead of snow!?

Preferential Treatment

Unless Boston passed some new “Preferred Traction” law for the Back Bay I don’t see a reason for South Boston’s street corners and crosswalks to be totally iced up two weeks after a storm and in the Back Bay you can pretty much eat off any curb you see because it’s so well cared for.

Thanks,

IG

Photos: John Tlumacki, David L. Ryan, Boston Globe

Filed under: Current Trends, Tips and Tricks by IG on 12.22.2007