Notices

Based on current weather forecasts, the City is declaring a snow emergency to go into effect at 7 a.m. on Sunday, January 25. Beginning at 7 a.m., cars will have 4 hours (until 11 a.m.) to move to the ODD side of the street. Any exceptions to this parking rule will be noted by nearby signs.

MOVING YOUR CAR

City parking lots are also available for snow emergency parking. For a full list of available City-owned parking lots, visit somervillema.gov/snow. If you do use City lots, please note that all cars must be moved within 2 hours of the end of the emergency. Snow emergencies can be lifted at any time, including during work hours, so if you may be unable to move your car out of a City lot with potentially short notice, please find alternative parking.

Parking is not allowed in school lots during snow emergencies and gates will be locked. Vehicles that are not removed from school lots before 11 a.m. on Sunday, January 25, may be locked in the lot, ticketed, and towed.

To leave enough clearance for plows and emergency vehicles, please avoid parking your car within 20 feet of an intersection. You may be subject to ticketing and towing if your car is deemed to be likely to restrict access. This regulation is enforced as needed and is especially important on narrower streets.

If you have access to a driveway, please consider using it during snow emergencies, or even sharing it with a neighbor or friend to maximize room for others.

BIKE TRAVEL & SOMERVILLE COMMUNITY PATH

Bike lanes and cycle tracks will be plowed as part of City snow removal; however, during and immediately after a storm, they may have ice and snow buildup. Please use caution when riding a bike and consider other forms of transportation if you must travel.

Please be mindful of snow clearing crews on the Somerville Community Path. Brief, temporary closures of the Path are possible during and after a storm to allow for snow removal. You can call 311 (617-666-3311) to check on Community Path closures.

Closed:

Sunday, January 25

All Recreation programs are canceled.

The Ginny Smithers Pool will be closed on Sunday and all pool programs canceled.

All Somerville Public Schools events, including all athletics, are canceled on Sunday.

Monday, January 26

All City buildings will be closed on Monday.

Somerville Public Schools will be closed and events and athletics are canceled on Monday.

The School Committee meeting will be virtual.

All Council on Aging in-person programming will be canceled on Monday and the senior transportation program will not be running.

Trash and recycling pickup, as well as Christmas Tree pickup will be delayed by one day for the full week.

Open/Operating:

Sunday, January 25:

The Somerville Public Library Central branch will be open extended hours of 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. for community members seeking relief from the cold. Please note: the library may need to close earlier than 5 p.m. due to weather conditions. Call first.

The Emergency Overnight Warming Center will be open extended hours. on Sunday and Monday. The Warming Center will open at 5 p.m. on Saturday, and will remain open until 9 a.m. on Sunday.

Location: 42 Prescott St.

Monday, January 26:

The Somerville Public Library East branch will be open from 1 p.m.- 5 p.m. for community members seeking relief from the cold.

The Emergency Overnight Warming Center will open at 5 p.m. on Sunday and will remain open all day Monday (until 7:30 a.m. Tuesday).

Location: 42 Prescott St.

Somerville Veterans Memorial Rink, operated by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, is open regular hours on Sunday and Monday.

Remember, to ensure safe passage for all, property owners will be responsible for removing snow and ice from sidewalks abutting their property within six daylight hours of the end of snowfall. Snow must be cleared down to the pavement and paths must be a minimum of 3 feet wide. Once a snow emergency is lifted, the shoveling deadline will be included in an alert from this system, and shared on somervillema.gov and City social media. You can also always call 311 (617-666-3311) to check on the shoveling deadline.

Please note that motor vehicle excise tax bills for 2026 are being sent one month earlier this year. Bills will issue on January 26, 2026, and are due February 25, 2026.

Somerville residents who own a vehicle with a valid Massachusetts license plate are responsible for paying their excise tax bill each year.

Payments can be made:

Online via the link on the city’s website at somervillema.gov/payonline

In-person at the Collector’s office at City Hall (93 Highland Ave.). Valid ID required if you do not bring the bill with you when making payment in person.

Via mail using the provided envelope.

Or by check, which can be dropped off in the stainless-steel payments box outside the front entrance of City Hall.

Regularly check your mailbox to avoid missing payment deadlines. Payment is required even if a physical bill is not received. To request a duplicate copy, please contact the treasury department to have a duplicate bill mailed, or “self-authenticate” online and pay via the city’s website at somervillema.gov/payonline.

For more information, contact the Tax Collector’s office at Treasury@somervillema.gov or call (617) 625-6600 x-3500. For general information on how to make a payment, contact 311 at 617-666-3311 or via chat/app/email/etc. at somervillema.gov/311.

After reviewing mattress recycling programs in 28 nearby communities of similar size, the Department of Public Works (DPW) is introducing a Mattress and Box Spring Recycling Fee Program starting February 1, 2026. This program will help offset rising disposal costs while creating a more consistent, fair, and sustainable system for residents. It will also help deter residents of neighboring communities from disposing of their mattresses improperly in Somerville to avoid their own community’s fees.

Under the new program, residents will be charged a $55 disposal fee per unit, allowing the city to recover a portion of actual costs while continuing to provide responsible recycling services.

The new fee program will go into effect on February 1, 2026. Starting on that date, residents of eligible households wishing to dispose of a mattress or box spring will need to purchase a Disposal Sticker before scheduling a mattress pickup and placing these items on the curb. Mattresses will be collected curbside one day after regular trash collection. For residents with Friday trash pickup, mattresses will also be collected on Friday. Mattresses and box springs are counted as separate items.

How to Recycle a Mattress or Box Spring via City Services:

First, confirm that you are eligible: Only residential households in buildings with 6 or fewer units with city-managed trash collection are eligible to have the City recycle their mattress or box spring. Pickup is also limited to two bulk items per week. Residents of buildings with 7 or more units using private trash services are not eligible.

Purchase a Disposal Sticker one of three ways:

Online: Purchase through the online payment portal on the City website at somervillema.gov/payonline.

Department of Public Works (DPW): Purchase in person at the DPW Offices at One Franey Road. Check, credit cards, and money orders are accepted. No cash.

City Hall: Purchase in person at the City Clerk’s Office in City Hall at 93 Highland Avenue. Cash, check, credit card, or money order are accepted.

Schedule your mattress pickup: Residents must contact 311 Constituent Services in advance to schedule a mattress and/or box spring pickup. Call 311 at 617-666-3311 or visit somervillema.gov/311 for more ways to contact 311.

Please note: Infested or soiled mattresses must be scheduled for special pickup. Contact 311 before purchasing a sticker.

For more information on mattress recycling and disposal, please visit the City website at somervillema.gov/mattressrecycling.

Christmas trees may be placed on the curbside on trash day for collection starting the week of December 29th. The trees must be free of all decorations and may not be placed in a bag. Once a tree is placed on the sidewalk it should remain out until it is collected.

Household hazardous waste drop off events are held on the second Saturday of each month, April through November only, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Must bring proof of residency.

WHERE: DPW Yard, 1 Franey Rd., Somerville, MA 02145

04/12/25

05/10/25

06/14/25

07/12/25

08/09/25

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10/11/25

11/08/25

Please note that the street sweeping season ended on December 31st and will resume on April 1st, 2026.