Like most other cities, the City of Boston street cleaning rule is pretty simple. Do not park your car on the street during restricted hours. Checking the posted signs might not be enough to avoid a $40/$90 Boston parking ticket. Here’s all you need to know about the city of Boston parking during street sweeping restrictions.
The City of Boston keeps the streets clean year-round. While the city cleans most streets between April and November, daytime sweeping in a few neighborhoods extends into the winter months. Once the snow starts falling, the plows get into action, and you have to look out for snow route restrictions, too.
The city of Boston’s Street Cleaning schedule is weather-dependent, and the condition of the roadways can also affect it. However, rain isn’t always a reason to cancel street cleaning—light rain actually helps with cleaning. Checking posted signs will mostly keep you out of trouble. But it is best to sign up for alerts from the authorities to stay updated on changes in the street sweeping schedule.
Daytime Neighborhood Street Cleaning Program
Daytime street cleaning in Boston is active from April 1 to November 30. However, in the North End, South End, and Beacon Hill neighborhoods, sweeping during the day continues until December 31 and starts again on March 1. All Boston parking restrictions related to daytime street cleaning are lifted during January and February.
Night Street Cleaning Program
During winters, the city cleans most streets during the night. The program focuses on downtown areas and the main thoroughfares where traffic is high. If you do not see any posted signs with Boston street cleaning schedules on main or arterial roads, assume that the restrictions are in place year-round.
What time is street sweeping in Boston?
Daytime street cleaning in Boston usually begins at 8 a.m. or 12 noon, and street sweeping begins after midnight on streets cleaned at night. Some downtown streets are swept in the early morning to allow the smooth flow of traffic and street parking in busy areas. If there are five weeks in a month, parking is not restricted for street cleaning in the last week. But this is only applicable for streets cleaned on alternate weeks.
You can check any neighborhood’s Boston street cleaning schedule on the City of Boston website.
What time does street sweeping start in South Boston?
South Boston street cleaning hours are usually between 9 am and 1 pm or 1 pm and 5pm. A few sections, like Congress Street, Seaport Boulevard, Sleeper Street, and Summer Street, are swept every day between midnight and 7 am.
What time does East Boston street cleaning start?
East Boston streets are currently cleaned from 8 am – 12 pm or 12 pm – 4 pm on the scheduled day of the week. Chelsea Street – Havre Street section of George R Visconti Road is the only exception, with Boston street cleaning scheduled every Wednesday between 5 am – 7 am.
Are there Boston street cleaning holidays?
Daytime Boston Street Cleaning is suspended during weekends and a few city holidays. However, street sweeping restrictions are not lifted during the night at any time of the year. During the winter, parking on designated snow routes in Boston is restricted to allow the snowplows to pass through the main streets at night. Make sure to check posted signs for updates on street cleaning and snow route restrictions every time you park on the streets in Boston.
Boston Street Cleaning restrictions are not in effect during the day on:
- New Year’s Day
- MLK Day
- Presidents Day
- Good Friday
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth
- Fourth of July
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Election Day
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Day after Thanksgiving
- Christmas Day
Can you park after the street sweeper passes in Boston?
No, don’t risk parking on a street while Boston street cleaning restrictions are imposed. You will get ticketed and maybe even towed. There’s no law to save you from an expensive ticket if the sweeping trucks come back to clean the street again during the restricted hours. Always look for ‘No-Parking’ signs with the street cleaning days and hours. Also, remember to move your car from main thoroughfares after the declaration of a snow emergency.
How much do Boston parking tickets cost for a street-sweeping violation?
The city can issue a $40 parking ticket if your car blocks the path of Boston Street Cleaning trucks during the daytime. City of Boston parking tickets for overnight street cleaning violations will set you back by $90. Additionally, there is a towing fee of $108, a $35 per day storage fee, and a fuel surcharge.
Boston parking tickets must be paid within 21 days of getting the citation, or you’ll have to pay an additional late fee. If you appeal and are denied, the ticket must be paid off within 10 days. Or you can request a hearing.
Not sure if you can keep up with the street cleaning rules and schedule? Why take the risk when there are secure and affordable off-street parking facilities in the city? Whether overnight or for a couple of hours during the day, a spot at a Boston parking garage will cost you much less than a parking ticket.
Renée Martin is a travel and car expert who focuses on road and air travel in the U.S. For the past 6 years, she’s been helping make driving and trip planning easier and budget-friendly for everyday travelers.
