Somerville City Council Sustainability Committee Snow Post-Mortem Meeting – March 18, 2026

The Somerville City Council Sustainability and Infrastructure Committee met on March 18, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:06 PM via Zoom. The meeting focused on a post-mortem of snow removal operations during the record-breaking January and February 2026 snowstorms. Key areas of discussion included dead-end streets, private ways, sidewalk clearing pilot, mobility infrastructure (bike lanes, ADA ramps, bus stops), and the policy of alternate-side parking during snow emergencies. The meeting featured a detailed presentation from Interim DPW Commissioner Eric Weisman, followed by extensive questions from councilors.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the February 9, 2026, Sustainability and Infrastructure Committee meeting were accepted unanimously (Councilors Hardt and Clingan voting yes; Councilor Scott absent).

Discussion Items

• Snow Operations Post-Mortem (Items #2, #3, #4, #6, #8, #9): Chair Clingan grouped six resolutions related to snow removal for a combined discussion and presentation. Interim Commissioner Weisman presented a comprehensive review of the winter’s operations, noting that Somerville received 68 inches of snow through March 18, the highest total since the winter of 2015. The January storm delivered 23.5 inches and the February storm 16-17 inches. Key areas of improvement identified included:
  • Dead Ends and Private Ways: The plan to use only three contractor trucks for dead-end streets proved insufficient. In the January storm, 266 service requests were filed for dead ends alone; this dropped to 56 requests in the February storm after deploying smaller equipment reassigned from bike facilities. New protocols were outlined for storms up to 4, 8, and more than 8 inches.
  • Mobility Infrastructure: Separated bike facilities were completely snowed in after the January storm despite running small equipment throughout. For storms over 8 inches, the city will now run separated bike facilities as a post-storm operation, freeing up equipment for dead ends and schools. The Community Path was kept open through the January storm but had to be temporarily suspended during the February storm due to heavy, wet snow.
  • Sidewalk Snow Clearing Pilot (Broadway and School Street): The pilot area covers all of Broadway and all of School Street. 9 tickets were issued in the January storm and 14 in the February storm for non-compliant property owners. ISD conducts enforcement, and DPW clears sidewalks of properties in violation. Potential improvements discussed include expanding the enforcement area, maximizing all snow tickets at $300, and expanding enforcement capacity.
  • Alternate-Side Parking Policy (Item #6): The policy of alternating the no-parking side during snow emergencies was put in place for fairness—to avoid always plowing in the same side’s driveways—not for operational efficiency. Interim Commissioner Weisman noted that his staff would prefer more snow emergencies to have clear space to operate.
  • Handicapped Parking Spaces and ADA Ramps (Items #8 and #9): The city plans to contract a vendor to proactively clear all ADA parking spaces covered in snow in larger storms. Chair Clingan emphasized the need to ensure curb ramps are clear for people with visual impairments and wheelchair users. Enforcement of abutter responsibility for ramp clearing remains a challenge; a public education campaign was suggested.
• Street Sweeping Frequency (Item #7): Chair Clingan stated this item was placed on the agenda prematurely, as the administration was not ready to respond. It was kept in committee for future discussion.
• Eversource Grant of Location (Item #5): A public communication from a resident regarding a streetlight at 35 Holland Street that has been out since January 14 was discussed. Chair Clingan committed to following up with the administration and kept the item in committee.

Key Outcomes

• Items #2, #3, #4, #6, #8, #9: All were recommended to be marked Work Completed.
• Items #5 and #7: Kept in committee for further follow-up.
• Meeting Adjourned: 8:06 PM by roll call vote of 3 in favor (Councilors Scott, Hardt, and Clingan), 0 opposed.