What You Need to Know So You Won't Get Towed

Regulations
Traffic Violations and Penalties
Payment
Appeals
Towing
Snow Emergencies
Street Cleaning

Institute parking areas are continuously monitored. Vehicles parked improperly or without a parking permit will be ticketed and/or towed at the owner's expense.

Regulations

• Parking is allowed in car stalls designated by painted lines.
• The speed limit on campus is 15 miles per hour.
• Any area marked no parking, loading zone, reserved, etc., is enforced as such 24 hours a day unless otherwise stated.
• Vehicles unclaimed for 30 days may be disposed of at the expense of the owner.

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Traffic Violations and Penalties

The following violations will be ticketed and charged the corresponding penalty:

• Parking Over Time Limit for Zone – $20.00
• No Permit for this Area – $20.00
• Parking in Area Not Marked for Parking – $20.00
• Blocking Roadway, Driveway Entrance, or Crosswalk – $30.00
• Parking in a No Parking Zone – $30.00
• Parking or Driving on Sidewalk or Lawn – $30.00
• Blocking Fire Lane or Hydrant – $40.00
• Parking in Reserved Space – $40.00
• Blocking Loading Zone or Dumpster – $50.00
• Parking in Area Reserved for Handicapped – $50.00
• Blocking Wheelchair Ramp – $50.00
• Driving to Endanger – $50.00
• Speeding – $50.00

Failure to return tickets or non-payment of fines may result in towing and/or loss of parking privileges.

Unauthorized transfer, use, tampering or duplication of an MIT Parking Permit will result in a $50 fine plus the loss of all parking privileges.

Even if a vehicle is driven by another party, the faculty member, staff member, or student who registered the vehicle or to whom the parking permit was assigned is responsible for any and all violations.

Parking privileges at MIT will not be granted or renewed for any person who has outstanding parking violations.

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Payment

You may pay for violations in cash or check in person at the Parking and Transportation Office or send a check, made payable to MIT Parking, to:

MIT Parking and Transportation Office
Room W20-022
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139

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Appeals

Violations that may have been issued in error can be appealed within 30 days of the violation. Appeals must be made by using the Parking Citation Appeal Form [PDF] or in a letter addressed to:

Appeals Committee
c/o the Parking and Transportation Office, W20-022
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139

Appeals are reviewed once a month by the Appeals Committee, a group made up of staff from the MIT Police, the Dean's Office, the Personnel Office, the Parking and Transportation Office and a student representative. The Parking and Transportation Office representative acts as staff to the Committee and reports to each appealing party the Committee's decisions.

No member of the Parking and Transportation Office has the authority to cancel or void an MIT parking violation.

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Towing

Owners of vehicles that are placed on a tow list will receive prior notice (if the owner can be located) in the form of an overdue violations notice from the Parking and Transportation Office.

Grounds for towing at the owner’s expense include:

• A vehicle with four or more unpaid tickets is found illegally parked on MIT property.
• The vehicle, with or without a parking permit, is parked at any time in a location which endangers life or property or hampers the movement of emergency vehicles or other traffic flow (such as fire lanes).
• The vehicle, with or without a parking permit, is found parked to impede the movement of delivery trucks
• The vehicle, with or without a parking permit, is parked on the sidewalk or blocking a trash compactor or dumpster.
• The vehicle blocks street cleaning.
• The vehicle, without a license plate, is parked at any time on MIT property without permission granted by the Parking and Transportation Office.
• The vehicle is parked without being moved for more than four consecutive days.

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Snow Emergencies

When heavy snowfall occurs in the Boston area, a “snow emergency” may be declared. Any Cambridge snow emergency will be announced over most local radio and TV stations and parking will be prohibited on designated emergency arteries. Permanent street signs indicate the existence of an emergency artery, of which category many streets in the MIT area fall.

Information concerning snow emergency declarations and alternate parking locations may be obtained by calling

MIT Police at 617-253-SNOW
or
Facilities at 617-253-4948

Any vehicle parked off-hours in a permit-required location, especially during a snow emergency, may be subject to towing at the owner's expense.

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Street Cleaning

The City of Cambridge periodically cleans the streets in the MIT area. Signs are posted on each street with the days of scheduled cleaning. Any car parked in the way of street cleaning apparatus is automatically towed by the City of Cambridge at the owner's expense.

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