By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

Winter is quickly approaching. And as we New Englanders know, when the cooler temperatures arrive, the snow – and all the fun and aggravation it brings us – is typically not far behind. Here at City Hall snow preparations are already underway, but there is one big change on the horizon for this winter season that we need you to prepare for: the switch to even-side parking during snow emergencies.

Starting this winter, Somerville will begin alternating the side of the road where snow emergency parking is allowed. We’ll alternate by winter season. Parking will switch sides once per year in November at the start of the new winter season and it will stay that side for the entire winter from November to May. This is the first year it will change. For the first time ever, we’re parking on the even and not the odd side. We’re doing this to be fair.

For years, residents living on the even side of the road have had to do the extra shoveling that sometimes comes from having the snow plowed toward their side of the street. So they cried out for equity, and for years we’ve said no. But after the snowpocalypse of winter 2015, we began discussing this shift with the Board of Aldermen. Ultimately, justice prevailed and we decided to alternate snow emergency parking sides. So what does that mean?

The shift in policy means that when the snow season starts in November, you need to look at your calendar. If November falls in an even year, such as 2016, 2018, or 2020, parking will be on the even-numbered side of the street during snow emergencies all winter through May. And when November falls in an odd year, such as 2017, 2019, or 2021, parking will be on the odd side—all winter. To tell what side is even or odd, you need to look at the house numbers. The side of the street where the house numbers are even numbers (ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, 8) is the even side.

It’s important to note that there are some exceptions, and for those you need to look at the signs on each road. Always defer to the official signage. For example, in most cases where streets have parking only on one-side during the rest of the year, emergency parking is also on that side.

I know this may sound confusing, but I’m certain it will feel easier once we’re all used to it. If it gives you any comfort, Medford alternates sides and pulls this off every year, so surely Somerville can too. Operationally though, it’s much more difficult to switch sides than you might think, so please bear with us.

But just because I’m asking you to be patient with us as we implement this change doesn’t mean we don’t want to hear from you should an issue arise. I encourage you to call 311 if something comes up during a snow emergency or if you have any questions about parking. We will be using your feedback to make adjustments so that this parking shift can run as smoothly as possible. Positive feedback is welcome too. A friendly wave to our tireless snow crews, who sometimes work 24-hour shifts during snow emergencies, could be just what they need to get through a long, cold shift.

This won’t be the only time you hear about our even-side parking plan for this winter season. Our team is working really hard to make sure you have all the information you need. In the coming weeks, you’ll see banners, flyers, news coverage, and other signage advertising the change, as well as information on the City’s social media pages, City Cable, and various newsletters. Our website also has all the info you need at www.somervillema.gov/snow.

I also encourage you to sign up for our community alerts system emails and phone calls that way you can be quickly informed when there is a snow emergency and take the necessary parking precautions. Just go to www.somervillema.gov/alerts or call 311.

Winter can be long, and it can be hard. But it can also be a time when our community comes together to help one another—or have the occasional massive snowball fight. I know this parking shift will present some initial challenges. But just remember: If we can get through the blizzards of winter 2015, we can certainly get through a change in our parking policy.