Boston

Double Standard? Bostonians Fined, City Gets Pass for Not Shoveling Snow

Bostonians who were fined for failing to shovel snow in front of their properties are slamming the city for not clearing snow from areas in front of City Hall.

The Boston Herald reports that code enforcement officers gave out 44 tickets to residents and businesses who did not shovel their sidewalks between the final hour of Christmas Day and 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Most residents were fined $50 and two businesses were fined $200.

City law requires sidewalks to be cleared to a 42-inch wide path within three hours after the snow stops falling.

The Herald reported that most of City Hall Plaza was plowed and salted, but the sidewalk along Cambridge Street was covered in a half-inch of densely packed snow well into Tuesday afternoon.

The Boston Planning & Development Agency owns the plaza but City Hall is responsible for the care and custody of the space.

A spokesperson for Mayor Marty Walsh told the Herald that the department won’t be fined because crews had been actively working on the entire plaza since Monday.

Some residents who received a ticket told the Herald they don't think that's fair.

"If they’re ticketing the public, they should ticket their own self, especially since yesterday was a holiday," said Jamaica Plain resident Harold Cooper, who received a ticket. "It’s crazy."

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