Salem Snow Emergency Parking Restrictions Set For Winter Season

SALEM, MA — While Salem has largely escaped snowfall early in this winter season there is little doubt that at some point the Witch City will get socked.

When that happens, the city will declare a snow parking emergency where vehicles left parked on most streets will be subject to ticketing and towing.

Salem has designated several lots for parking while a snow emergency is in effect. These do not include school lots. On-street parking on several streets and other sites that have been identified as wide enough to enable parking during snow emergencies is permitted.

Snow emergency parking rates in the city garages go into effect two hours before the declared start of the snow emergency.

Where alternative parking locations are on-street, residents parking in those locations must park between the posted snow emergency parking area signs. Vehicles parked outside of the signed area are subject to ticketing and towing.

The following are snow emergency parking sites in Salem:

***Museum Place Parking Garage
1 New Liberty Street (Garage)
$5/24 hours or any portion thereof, effective two hours before start of snow emergency.

***MBTA Garage
252 Bridge Street (Garage)
See www.mbta.com/stops/place-ER-0168

***South Harbor Garage
10 Congress Street (Garage)
$5/24 hours or any portion thereof, effective two hours before start of snow emergency.

***Hampton Inn Garage
Dodge Street (Garage)
$5/24 hours or any portion thereof, effective two hours before start of snow emergency.

***Forest River Park
38 Clifton Avenue (Lot)
Free

***Salem Willows Park
200 Fort Avenue (Lot)
Free

***Universal Steel Parking Lot
297 Bridge Street (Lot)
Free

***SSU O’Keefe Center
225 Canal Street (Lot)
Free. Permit required. Call 978-542-7341 to obtain.

***Sargent Street (west side only)
Sargent Street (Street)
Free

***Lower Gallows Hill Park
50 Proctor Street (Lot)
Free

***Congress Street
West side only between Harbor and Dow Streets (Street)
Free

***Salem High School
Posted central lot (Lot)
Free

***Shetland Office Park
78 Congress Street (Lot)
Free. Permit required. Visit the Parking Garage office, New Liberty Street, to obtain. Vehicle must be removed within 30 minutes of end of parking ban.

***Salem Wharf
Blaney Street (Lot)
Free

***Castle Hill Park
14 Story Road (Lot)
Free

***Jackson Street
Head-in spaces adjacent to Collins Middle School (Street)
Free

***Collins Street (east side only)
From Webb Street to Conners Road (Street)
Free

***Mack Park
29 Grove Street (Multiple Lots)
Free

***Szetela Lane (north side only)
Szetela Lane along Collins Cove only (Street)
Free

***Bates School Basketball Court (not the parking lot)
55 Liberty Hill Avenue (Lot)
Free

***Old Senior Center
5 Broad Street (Lot)
Free

***Salem Street
Behind Saltonstall School and Palmer Cove, perpendicular spaces only (Street)
Free

***Broad Street Park
24 Jackson Street (Lot)
Free

***Lafayette Place
54 Lafayette Place (Lot)
Free

***Remond Park
1 Bridge Street (Lot)
Free

***Palmer Cove
30 Leavitt Street (Lot)
Free

***High Street Playground lot
2 High Street Court (Lot)
Free. Zone D-Yellow resident parking only, however.

***Beacon Avenue (east side perpendicular spaces)
Beacon Avenue (Lot)
Free

***Lathrop Street (north side only)
Along 9 Lathrop Street fence (Street)
Free

***Howard Street Cemetery Lot
Corner of Bridge & Howard Sts. -perpendicular parking spaces only (Lot)
Free

Vehicles that are not removed in a timely manner from any snow emergency parking location will be ticketed and towed at the owner's expense. Vehicles parked in a garage after the snow emergency parking ban ends may continue to be charged at the regular non-snow emergency rate for that garage.

Snow removal at snow emergency parking locations will not take place until after snow clearing operations on city streets are completed.

Salem will often designate separate snow emergency parking guidelines for downtown so that businesses and restaurants can continue to operate at the outset of a storm.

There are city ordinances requiring property owners to remove snow and ice from their bordering sidewalks within six hours after the snow ceases to fall or the city's snow emergency lights are turned off, whichever time is later. If the snow ceases to fall and the snow emergency lights are turned off in the nighttime, the snow shall be removed before noon.

The ordinance sets fines of $25 for 1st offense, $75 for 2nd offense, and $100 for 3rd and subsequent offenses.

Snowplowing, shoveling, or throwing snow back onto the street when clearing driveways and sidewalks is prohibited by city ordinance and violators can be fined $75 for 1st offense, $150 for 2nd offense and $200 for 3rd and subsequent offenses.

Winter sand is available for Salem residents at the Department of Public Works Garage located at 5 Jefferson Avenue with a limit of two pails per visit.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)