Boston Drivers Finding It Hard To Park Cars
BOSTON (CBS) -- It's a challenge parking in Boston these days with all the snow. For drivers, it's either a narrow squeeze, or maneuvering to make way. And with concern that emergency vehicles can't get through some streets, the city is cracking down on illegally parked cars.
On a spring day, cars should be parked within a foot of the curb, there's no snow rule, but common sense says Boston Transportation Commissioner Thomas Timlin.
"When you're parking your vehicle and you think a fire truck or ambulance can't get by you, you shouldn't park there," he said.
The city also requires a 10 foot travel lane which isn't easy these days.
WBZ-TV's Beth Germano reports.
Heating contractor John Dowd says he's received $150 worth of tickets in one day, just trying to park his van to make calls.
"No stopping or standing zone, but I wasn't blocking anybody," he said.
Drivers jamming into snow-filled spaces say it's sometimes difficult to know the legal spaces from the illegal ones.
"Often with snow it's a snap judgment. If it looks like everyone else is parked here I'm going to try to," said Donald Merand as he parked his car on Centre St. in Jamaica Plain.
While there's currently no snow emergency, the city is issuing temporary parking bans on certain streets, forcing cars to be moved while crews remove snow.
Commissioner Timlin says it may inconvenient, but residents need to think of the end result.
"You get your car out of the way to remove snow, you get a nice clean space to park," he said.
