PRESS RELEASE

Fitchburg Police Headquarters 2:35 PM EDT June 13, 2011

Fitchburg Police Announce Traffic Enforcement Increase for City Sidewalks

After receiving complaints from a number of residents at neighborhood meetings, Chief Robert A. DeMoura announced today efforts to increase enforcing parking violations specifically on sidewalks. “We have received many complaints particularly in the Ward 1 area including Water Street and vicinity, Albee, Cleveland, Canton, and Salem Street(s).” said Chief DeMoura.

The enforcement will be conducted by regular patrols as well as a focus by the Traffic and DDACT enforcement initiative(s). [DDACTS is an acronym for Data Driven Approach to Crash and Traffic Safety]

In some cases vehicles are parked illegally out of habit. This is particularly troubling where a motorist parks on a sidewalk where there is no reason to do so.

A number of violations may be uncovered with this enforcement including fines for parking within ten feet of a hydrant, within an intersection, less than ten feet from an unobstructed way, within five feet of a driveway or alley, wrong direction, on a sidewalk, on a crosswalk etc.