Lynn parking ban and snow emergency rules: what to know
How Lynn signals a parking ban, where you can move your car, fees and towing rules, how to get alerts and who handles disputes.
When Lynn declares a winter parking ban the city lights blue beacons at key intersections and posts notices on its website and electronic roadway signs. Here is where to move your car, what a tow costs and how to get alerts.
How the city signals a parking ban
The city announces a declared winter parking emergency by activating flashing blue beacons at major crossroads and by posting notices on its website and on roadway message boards. The Emergency Management office leads the response and coordinates Police, Public Works, Parking, Fire and other departments during these events.
Where you cannot park — and where you can
While a ban is in effect vehicles may not remain on public streets or on sidewalks. Once a ban is announced, residents can move their cars to designated city parking lots. The city’s Snow Emergency Parking Lots map on its parking page shows which lots are open during a ban.
Where towed cars go
Cars towed during a ban go to the city’s snow tow lot at the Lynn Ferry site, 389 Blossom Street. It is a tow lot, not a place to park.
Storage charges add up for every day a car stays there, so pick it up as soon as you can.
Towing, fees and timelines
A towed car costs a $195 tow fee plus a $150 ticket, and $35 a day in storage while it sits at the tow lot.
When the ban ends, cars parked in the city lots have to come out so plows can clear them. If the ban is lifted before 9 p.m., you have two hours to move your car; if it is lifted after 9 p.m., you have until 6 a.m. the next day. Leaving a car in the way of plows can bring a $100 citation for impeding snow removal.
Alerts, the Snow Permit pilot and who coordinates response
The city recommends signing up for the RAVE Mobile Safety / Smart911 notification system to receive emails or texts about parking bans and other emergencies.
The Parking Department is running a pilot Snow Permit program so residents who use school lots during a ban can register and get email notices when their vehicle must be removed; the department will post registration details when the pilot opens.
How to contest a citation
To dispute a parking citation you must request a hearing within 21 days. The city accepts requests through its online citation portal or by sending a written appeal to the Administrative Hearing Officer, Robert Cronin.
Before you go
Sign up for RAVE/Smart911 alerts and watch the city website and roadway message boards when a storm is forecast. If the city activates the blue beacons and posts a ban, move your car off the street and into a designated city lot.
Keep the posted fees and retrieval timelines in mind and request a hearing within 21 days if you plan to contest a citation. For more practical help, see our Lynn trash and recycling guide and other Lynn guides.
Sources: City of Lynn DPW — Snow Emergencies & Parking; City of Lynn — Snow Emergencies; City of Lynn — RAVE/Smart911; City of Lynn — Municipal Parking Lots; City of Lynn — Emergency Management.
