RESOURCES, RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR BEACON HILL RESIDENTS

Traffic, Parking and Transportation

Photo: (c) Vin Catania

Although Beacon Hillers favor walking and public transportation, many own a vehicle for the times when driving is preferable. While many residents park in off-street parking facilities, a limited number of on-street parking spaces are available.

City regulations limit all legally parked cars to two hours in any given space on any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday during the hours indicated, with the exception of resident vehicles, properly permitted and legally parked in resident spaces.

BOSTON'S RESIDENT PERMIT PARKING PROGRAM
Boston's Resident Permit Parking Program is an initiative designed to give residents a better chance of finding on-street parking spaces in their own neighborhood. Many of the parking spaces on Beacon Hill are regulated as "Resident Parking Only," and a smaller number of spaces on these same streets are posted as "Visitor Parking" areas for the guests of neighborhoods residents. Call 617-635-4682 for further information on the city’s resident parking program.

Photo: (c) Vin Catania

Resident Parking Stickers
Parking in resident spaces requires a properly displayed resident parking permit. Residents can get a parking permit for the first time by appearing in person between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the office of the Parking Clerk, Room 224, Boston City Hall. Thereafter, permits may be renewed online. To obtain a permit, you must have:

A valid Massachusetts automobile registration indicating that your car is registered and principally garaged in your name at your current Beacon Hill address
No outstanding tickets
One proof of residency (such as a current utility, cable or credit card bill or a monthly bank statement) bearing your name and Beacon Hill address.

To renew online, complete the form located on the city’s website at http://www.cityofboston.gov/ transportation/parking renewal/.

Resident Parking Stickers for Students
Students wishing to obtain Resident Parking Permits are subject to the same rules and regulations as any resident permit applicant. They are required to have a valid Massachusetts automobile registration showing their vehicle is registered and principally garaged in their name at their current Boston address. Students must also provide proof of residency, bearing their name and Boston address. The proof of residency (see above) must be postmarked or signed within the past 30 days.

Temporary Resident Parking Stickers for Rented Vehicles
Temporary stickers for rental cars are also available with the rental contract (bearing your Beacon Hill address) and proof of residency, and should be obtained in advance of parking the car in a designated resident space. If you should get a ticket despite displaying a current resident sticker, send the ticket with a note indicating your name, address and permit number to the attention of Resident Parking, City of Boston, P.O. Box 2288, Boston, MA 02105 for dismissal.

Resident Parking Stickers for Beacon Hill Businesses
Businesses that have a Beacon Hill address may request a resident parking sticker. The name and Beacon Hill address of the business must appear on a valid Massachusetts certificate of vehicle registration. The certificate of registration must indicate that the vehicle is principally garaged and insured at the same Boston address. There must be no unpaid parking tickets issued to the applicant’s registration. Only one permit per business may be issued.

Parking Meter Spaces
Parking Meter Spaces are available on Beacon, Charles and Cambridge streets between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Vehicles may park for up to two hours. Those that have been parked longer than two hours or have been moved to another space on the same block will be found in violation and ticketed.

Between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., the metered spaces revert to free parking unless signs indicate otherwise.

To report a broken parking meter, call 617-635-3123 or 617-635-2147.

TICKETING AND TOWING

Photo: (c) Vin Catania

Ticketing
Illegally parked cars, trucks or other commercial vehicles will be ticketed; to request action on an illegally parked vehicle, call the city Parking Enforcement Officers at 617-635-3125 or 4881. A dispatcher is on call 24-hours a day except between 11 p.m. on Saturday through 10 p.m. on Sunday, at which time residents should call 911.

Towing
Vehicles are towed by the Boston Transportation Department if they are illegally parked, have incurred parking violations or are abandoned.

Vehicles towed by the city are taken to the BTD Boot and Tow Lot, located at 200 Frontage Road, off the Southeast Expressway. It is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and closed holidays. 617-635-3900
Vehicles parked on portions of streets subject to street cleaning on a specific date will be towed by private towing services. To find out where the car has been towed, contact the Boston Police Department at 617-343-4629. See the City’s street sweeping schedule.

Fines
To look up a parking ticket, learn how to dispute it or to pay over the phone, contact the Parking Clerk in Room 124, City Hall Plaza, or call 617-635-4410.

Stolen Vehicles
To report a stolen vehicle, go to the Boston Police Department and fill out the necessary paperwork. To follow up, call the BPD Stolen Vehicle line at 617-343-4535.

STREET OCCUPANCY PERMITS

Any occupation of a public way in Boston requires a Street Occupancy Permit authorizing the permit holder to restrict access to that portion of the street for the length of time specified on the permit. Examples of work that require obtaining a Street Occupancy Permit include moving, construction, utility maintenance, relocation, and dumpster location. Call 617-635-4675 to obtain a permit.

Many contractors working on Beacon Hill homes request permits for parking a dumpster or dump truck during the demolition phase of construction or to load and unload equipment. Permits are given for fifteen days only. The BHCA works closely with the Boston Transportation Department and must approve the renewal of such permits before extensions are issued. Residents should notify the BHCA (617-227-1922) if contractors are not assuming the following responsibilities:

Responsibilities of the permit holder

No Parking signs made of cardboard must be posted within the confines of the area to be restricted. The dates and times that the Street Occupancy Permit has been issued for, and/or, that parking has been restricted for, must be clearly stated on each sign. It is the responsibility of the permit holder to post all necessary signs a minimum of 48 hours prior to the start of work in residential neighborhoods and a minimum of 24 hours prior to the start of work in non-residential areas.
At the time of permit issuance, the BTD will supply the permit holder with one flyer outlining pertinent information for abutters. The permit holder is required to duplicate the flyer and distribute flyers in doorways and on vehicles within a one-half block radius of the work site. This should be done each day, for two days prior to the start of work in residential neighborhoods and one day prior for work done in commercial areas.
The permit holder is required to ensure that the work-site and the surrounding area are clean and clear of debris that may cause public safety hazards. Fire hydrants must remain unobstructed. Upon completion of the job, the permit holder must clean the site thoroughly and remove any remaining signs or flyers.
Any City of Boston equipment that has been broken must be repaired or replaced by the permit holder. In addition, any city property that has been removed from the work-site must be replaced. This includes traffic and parking signs, traffic signals and control boxes, trees, underground conduit, crosswalks and other pavement markings.
The permit holder may not stockpile materials or supplies on streets or sidewalks.
The permit holder may not park vehicles within the permitted area except when actually loading and unloading. The spaces may not be used by the contractor or subcontractors to park their own vehicles.

OFF-STREET PARKING

Boston Common Garage
Boston Common, Charles St.
617-954-2098

Cambridge Street Garage
100 Charles River Plaza
617-742-2819

Center Plaza Garage
1 Center Plaza
617-742-7807

Charles Street Garage
144 Charles St.
617-523-8432

Massachusetts General Hospital
Parkman Garage
617-726-8886

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
243 Charles St.
617-523-7900

Pro Park
4 Emerson Place, West End
617-742-8025

OTHER TRANSPORTATION NUMBERS

Amtrak
800-872-7245
www.amtrak.com

Boston Transportation Department
1 City Hall Plaza, Room 721
617-635-4680

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
Route & Schedule Info 617-222-3200
Customer Relations 617-222-5215

Massachusetts Turnpike Authority
617-248-2800
Traffic Reports 617-374-1234

PARKING FINES

The Boston Transportation Department has set the following fines for parking violations:

Fire Hydrant
The fine for parking within ten (10) feet of a fire hydrant is one hundred ($100.00) dollars.

Taxi Stand
The fine for parking in a Public Hackney Carriage Stand (Taxi Stand) is fifty ($50.00) dollars.

Fire Lane
The fine for parking so as not to leave a clear and unobstructed ten (10) foot lane (Fire Lane) is one hundred ($100.00) dollars.

Sidewalk
The fine for parking upon any sidewalk is sixty-five ($65.00) dollars.

Crosswalk
The fine for parking upon any crosswalk is eighty-five ($85.00) dollars.

HP Ramp Blocked
The fine for parking in front of any curb ramp designed for use by handicapped persons is one hundred ($100.00) dollars.

Snow Emergency Route
The fine for parking during weather emergencies is forty-five ($45.00) dollars.

Commercial Overnight
The fine for parking a commercial vehicle overnight is sixty-five ($65.00) dollars.

Over One Foot from Curb
The fine for parking more than one (1) foot from the curb is thirty-five ($35.00) dollars.

No Valid/Expired Registration
The fine for parking without a valid registration plate is forty ($40.00) dollars.

No Valid/Expired Inspection
The fine for parking without a valid certificate of inspection is forty ($40.00) dollars.

Non-Emergency Repair
The fine for parking for the purpose of performing non-emergency repairs to a vehicle is forty ($40.00) dollars.

The fine and fee hikes in residential neighborhoods are:
Double Parking
The fine for parking in excess of one (1) vehicle width from the edge or curb of a roadway (double parking) is thirty ($30.00) dollars.

No Parking
The fine for parking where parking is prohibited is fifteen ($15.00) dollars.

Over Posted Limited
The fine for parking over the posted time limit is fifteen ($15.00) dollars.