City leaders in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will not tow vehicles that are not moved for street cleaning, instead raising tickets from $30 to $50, as part of a pilot programVehicles that are not moved for street cleaning in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will not be towed as part of a pilot program launched this month.Cambridge City Councilor Burhan Azeem said the goal of the policy change is to reduce the financial burden on residents.
John Fitzgerald, environmental services manager for Cambridge Public Works, said in the first week of street cleaning this year, 711 vehicles were ticketed. In comparison, he said last year, 400 vehicles were towed in the same time period. Fitzgerald said the two main goals of their work are keeping streets clean and keeping material out of the catch basin system, which ultimately drains to the Charles River. Approximately 1,500 to 2,000 tons of material are removed from Cambridge streets during a typical year.