Snow plowing in Lexington and Bedford, MA: reserve your season pass

Plowing a driveway in Lexington and Bedford

Lexington

Lexington is a mostly single-family suburb with more than 500 streets. Several neighborhoods are named for hills, including Meriam Hill, Loring Hill and Munroe Hill, and there are modernist neighborhoods such as Peacock Farm and Six Moon Hill. The town has a firm overnight rule: no parking on the street for more than one hour between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., enforced from December 1 through April 1 whether or not there is snow. Violators face a fine or towing, and a November warning tag mentions a $20 ticket.

The DPW plows main streets first, then sub-mains, then residential streets. When there is a heavy snowfall, residential streets are last. The town asks residents to keep snow on their own property or the tree lawn, and not to put it in the street or on the sidewalk. A bylaw also bars putting snow on any street or sidewalk that has already been cleared for travel. Remind any contractor of that, as the town does. The DPW also plows school parking lots and town lots, and may post temporary no-parking signs when it removes snow piles from business districts.

The town's winter brochure says residents are strongly encouraged, but not required, to shovel the walk next to their home. The DPW plows six sidewalk routes tied to school walking routes and tries to finish them within 48 hours. Report any plow damage to the DPW by May 1. A seasonal plan that clears the drive after the street plow has passed, and keeps snow on your property, fits all of these rules. The DPW snow line is 781-274-8381.

Bedford

Bedford is a small town of about 14 square miles, close to Route 128, with mostly single-family homes and several condo communities, including some built on old farms and schools. The town's parking rules are stricter than most. Parking is banned on any street, highway or town lot once 2 inches of snow falls, and it stays banned until 24 hours after the snow stops. The fine is $20, and cars that block plowing may be towed. There is also an all-night rule from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. For most homes, that means every car belongs in the driveway for a full day after a storm.

Plowing begins when 2 to 3 inches pile up. The town says that at the end of the storm, plows widen every road curb to curb and clear intersections. That final widening is when the bank lands at the end of your drive, and the town says residents may want to wait to clear walks and driveways until the road has been widened. On most town roads, the right of way runs 5 to 10 feet past the pavement. Mailboxes there are at the owner's risk, and clearing snow around a mailbox is the owner's job.

The General Bylaws bar putting more than small amounts of snow on a street or public sidewalk the town has already cleared, with a $100 fine. A plow service has to keep snow on your own lot. The town clears select sidewalks and the Minuteman Bikeway after the roads, so do not count on a town-cleared walk at your driveway. A seasonal plan that clears the drive after the street plow passes handles the bank and the rules together.