Snow plowing in Billerica and Tewksbury, MA: reserve your season pass

Plowing a driveway in Billerica and Tewksbury

Billerica

Billerica is a large town of about 26 square miles with villages including Billerica Center, North Billerica, East Billerica, South Billerica and Nutting Lake. Most homes are single-family houses. The town plows in stages: town plows begin on major roads at about 2 inches of snow, and contractors start on secondary and minor roads at about 3 inches. Minor roads and dead ends come last. The town says it takes 4 to 6 hours to finish after the snow stops, and the final job is pushing back the road edges. That last push is what leaves the bank at your driveway.

Billerica does not have a set overnight ban in the by-laws we read. Instead, the Town Manager can declare an emergency with at least 6 hours' notice. During it, no one may park on a public street, and the fine is $50 plus towing. That makes your own driveway the place to park, so a cleared driveway matters before a ban starts. Snow also cannot be pushed from private property into a town way if it creates a safety hazard, at $100 per offense.

The by-laws also say it is the owner's job to clear the sidewalk next to the property within 24 hours of the end of the storm, after the town clears the street, at $10 per offense, with each day counting as a separate offense. A seasonal plan that clears the drive and the sidewalk apron after the street plow passes covers both of those rules.

Tewksbury

Tewksbury sits between Lowell and Wilmington along Routes 38 and 495. Most homes are single-family, and about four in five are owner-occupied according to a secondary source. The town averages about 56 inches of snow a year. The DPW says private contractors do about 65 percent of snow removal, with town crews doing the rest. On a typical 3 to 6 inch snowfall, it takes about six hours to clear the streets after the snow stops. Post-storm work includes sanding, salting, drifting and cleaning up sidewalks and school crosswalks, so side streets can stay snowy for a while after the sky clears.

The parking rules are strict. Street parking is banned from midnight to 6 a.m. from November 1 through March 31, and at any time when it is snowing or icy. The fine is $25 and cars that block plowing can be towed. A driveway cleared early is where cars have to go on those nights. The bylaws also bar leaving snow on a traveled public way or sidewalk where it blocks traffic or plowing, or near a hydrant. The first offense is a written warning, then $50, then $100.

Basketball hoops in the right of way must be removed from November 1 to April 1, and the town holds owners responsible if a plow is damaged. The plow bank at the end of the drive is a given after the street plow passes. Seasonal plow service that waits for the street plow and then clears the apron can save you the second shoveling. Call the Highway Division at 978-640-4440 for street plowing questions.