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In icy storm aftermath, Somerville issues 'hundreds of tickets a day' for uncleared sidewalks
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The weather is slightly less awful than yesterday — but there’s still a cold weather advisory effect today in Boston due to the wind chill.
And the icy air isn’t our only problem:
Commuters, joggers and dog walkers, beware! The sub-freezing temperatures aren’t making life easy in the wake of this past weekend’s storm. As WBUR’s Josie Guarino reports, the conditions have left sheets of ice on sidewalks and walkways across the Boston area, thanks to melted snow that has refrozen, as well as neighbors who, let’s just say, haven’t exactly been keeping up with their shoveling duties.
- Boston and other local communities require residents and business owners to clear any snow and ice from sidewalks that abut their property. However, many people are ignoring the cities’ rules — or just don’t know about them. For example, Somerville officials say they’ve issued more fines and warnings to people who’ve failed to clear their sidewalks this year than they did all of last year. “We are receiving hundreds of complaints a day,” Nicholas Antanavica, the city’s inspectional services director, told Josie, adding the that city’s inspectors have issued "hundreds of tickets a day" since Sunday.
- Why it matters: According to the city of Boston’s website, “dozens of people are seriously injured slipping and falling on sidewalks” each year. The city’s fines for not clearing sidewalks go up to $200; in Somerville, it can be up to $300. “Think of the person that sprained their ankle or is in a wheelchair or has a child in a stroller,” Antanavica said. (Yes, the rules still apply if you’re out of town during the storm. No, the reported statewide shortage of ice melt isn’t an excuse either.)
- PSA: If you encounter a slick spot on the sidewalk, remember to walk like a penguin. That means taking small steps and keeping your center of gravity above your front leg.
- Meanwhile: The ice isn’t only causing problems on the streets. Commuters on the MBTA’s Mattapan trolley had to be rescued via raft yesterday morning after they got stuck in several feet of floodwater caused by built-up ice on the Neponset River.
- Look up: You also might want to keep an eye on your roof. The recent weather has created prime conditions for ice dams. Here are four things to know, including how to remove them.
The JFK Library and Museum is reopening today after abruptly closing yesterday due to layoffs ordered by the Trump administration. JFK’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, wrote on Instagram the library was directed to immediately fire probationary staff, a recent strategy by the administration as it works to slash the federal workforce.
- “We are devastated by this news and will continue to support our colleagues and the Library,” the JFK Library Foundation said in a statement. Meanwhile, local elected officials blasted Trump, Elon Musk and the DOGE team’s indiscriminate cost-cutting efforts. WBUR’s Beth Healy and Emily Piper-Vallillo have more on the reactions to the library layoffs here.
- In related news: A federal judge yesterday denied an effort by Democratic state attorneys general to block DOGE from accessing data or terminating workers at certain federal agencies.
- Go deeper: Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell spoke with WBUR’s Tiziana Dearing about her office’s strategy for combating Trump’s executive orders in court.
Herb Chambers is cashing out: The Dorchester native’s New England auto empire is being bought by Georgia-based Asbury Automotive Group for $1.3 billion, the two companies revealed yesterday. The acquisition includes 33 dealerships, three auto repair centers and 2,200 workers. The deal is expected to close later this year.
- The 83-year-old Chambers will stay on as an advisor, as well as retain ownership of his Mercedes-Benz dealership in Somerville. So, you probably haven’t seen the last of that helicopter.
Boston College plans to welcome a new president next year. The school’s board of trustees announced yesterday that Rev. Jack Butler — a longtime administrator and chaplain of the BC football team — will take over when President William Leahy retires in summer 2026.
P.S.— For those of you who have the week off from school/work and are willing to brave the cold, the (free) Children’s Winter Festival returns to Boston Common today. The annual event, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., features music, dancing, an alpine slide and more.
