Parking Restrictions

New Traffic & Parking Regulations Voted By Framingham City Council Take Effect September 1

New City of Framingham traffic & parking regulations take effect on September 1, 2024.

The 11-member City Council voted unanimously this spring for the new traffic & parking regulations.

One of the major changes prohibits all vehicles with a commercial license plate from parking on City streets overnight and on Sundays.

The law specifically states, “No driver shall park or stand any commercial vehicle or trailer or semi-trailer (vehicles displaying a government-issued commercial license plate) between the hours of 11 p.m. of one day and 6 am. of the following day, Monday through Saturday or any time on Sunday.”

The new 72-page parking & traffic regulations were recommended to the City’s legislative division by the Framingham Traffic Commission. 

“The latest published version of Framingham’s traffic regulations was last revised in December 1988.  The Traffic Commission began working on a complete re-write in the fall of 2021,” said Framingham Traffic Commission Chair Brinsley Fuller.

   The Commission’s intent with the updated regulations, said Fuller, was to:

  • Reconcile traffic signage and pavement markings that currently exist throughout the city with the proposed regulations to the extent possible;
  • Incorporate relevant transportation restrictions from other city documents where appropriate, including weather emergency parking, city-wide odd/even parking, and street sweeping prohibitions;
  • Revise fee and fine amounts.

“The Traffic Commission is happy to have been a part of this process.  We thank the City Council for its support.  There have been many changes throughout the City since 1988 --- these regulations provide a current and reliable guide for the public and City Departments,” said Fuller.

The new regulations also increase the cost of a resident parking sticker from $20 to $25 per vehicle. Stickers are for calendar years; applicants must show proof of residency in the City of Framingham.

The new traffic & parking regulations also set a fee structure for violations ranging from $25 to $300.

The regulations prohibit residents from throwing “snow or ice in the area of the roadway, used by moving traffic. And no “person shall pile snow or ice in any roadway or any sidewalk near an intersection so as to obstruct the vision above a height of 4 feet within 20 feet of the intersection.”

The new traffic regulations apply only to the public right of way and not to publicly owned off-street areas, including municipal parking lots.

To view the 72-page parking regulations and the additional spreadsheets, visit City of Framingham, MA Parking (ecode360.com)

The information also can be found on the City of Framingham’s Traffic Commission webpage at Traffic Commission | City of Framingham, MA Official Website (framinghamma.gov)

Framingham Police are responsible for enforcing the City’s traffic and parking regulations.

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PARKING RESTRICTIONS

WEATHER EMERGENCY PARKING BAN

When a snow emergency is declared by the Mayor, parking is prohibited on all arterial roads in the city. These roads are posted with red and white signs. Residents and motorists are advised to seek off-street parking during city snow plowing operations, as any vehicle obstructing or interfering with plowing operations is subject to ticketing and towing regardless of existing parking regulations for that particular street.

Odd / even parking restrictions exist on all arterial and non-arterial roads in the City, including the resident parking zone and three hour parking zones described.

ODD / EVEN PARKING

The City of Framingham enforces a year-round odd / even side parking restriction program. During even years parking is allowed on the even-numbered side of streets from January 1st to December 31st. During odd years parking is allowed on the odd-numbered side from January 1st to December 31st. Centrally located signs displaying odd or even restrictions according to the year exist in 22 locations throughout the City. Yearly changes are broadcast through the media and with the City's rapid telephone notification system.

This restriction is enforced on a block-by-block basis. An exception to this would be (for example) if during an even year, a street has several blocks of intersecting streets along its length and 1 block between intersecting streets had preexisting town signs prohibiting parking year-round on the even-numbered side, residents could legally park on the odd-numbered side - only for that affected block - regardless of odd or even years.

RESIDENT PARKING ZONE

A sticker-based resident parking program is in place for 1 resident parking sticker zone (PDF). Resident stickers may be purchased through the Treasurer's Office and expire on December 31st of each year. An application form may be printed online and contain requirements for obtaining stickers.

TEMPORARY PARKING PERMITS

If you just moved in and you're in the process of re-registering your vehicle, you may qualify for a temporary parking permit. You must bring a lease or proof of residency along with your vehicle registration. Qualified applicants will be required to pay the yearly application fee of $10 described. Temporary passes will be valid for 45 days. Prior to the expiration of the temporary pass, the recipient must return to the Treasurer's Office and provide proof of residency as described in number 3.

Note: Applicants are only eligible for 1 temporary permit per year.

THREE HOUR PARKING ZONES

There are several 3-hour parking restrictions zones in the City, they include:

  • Framingham Downtown Zone
  • Framingham High School Zone
  • Framingham State University / Framingham Center Zone

View the list of streets within these parking zones that have 3 hour restrictions (PDF).