As winter weather approaches, the City of Pawtucket wants to ensure all residents are informed about snow and ice procedures. Please review the important details below to stay prepared and avoid fines during snow emergencies.
For immediate snow updates, we encourage you to follow and/or subscribe to these platforms:
- Follow on Social Media:
- Visit the City of Pawtucket website’s homepage: pawtucketri.gov.
- Sign up for CodeRED: CodeRed is the City’s emergency alert platform where residents can subscribe to calls or texts for any storms or emergency-related issues.
- Subscribe to receive text and call alerts: CodeRED Signup.
- To stop notifications, opt out here.
Parking Bans
How do parking bans work?
- Typically, an on-street parking ban is put into effect when two or more inches of snow are forecasted.
- Once declared, all vehicles must be moved off the streets during the designated time.
- Parking bans are announced on the city’s website, social media platforms, CodeRED alerts, and local radio and TV broadcasts.
Avoid fines and towing:
- Vehicles left on the street during a parking ban will be towed at the owner’s expense or fined $100.
- After the parking ban is lifted, vehicles must be removed from municipal parking areas within two hours or risk towing and a $100 fine.
- It is vital that cars are moved into city lots, and then removed from city lots in a timely manner.
- If cars are left on the street during a ban, this delays the Department of Public Works in their snow removal process, meaning it will take longer for our streets to be cleaned.
- On the opposite end of the parking ban, it is crucial that cars are removed within the two hour period after lifting the parking ban. Most designated lots are school parking lots. If residents do not remove their car in a timely fashion, it can delay school re-openings.
Alternate parking locations:
- During parking bans, municipal lots throughout the city are available for parking. Please review the full list of locations below.
WEST SIDE PARKING AREAS:
- Morley Field/ 94 Moshassuck St.
- Nathanael Greene School/ 285 Smithfield Ave.
- Veterans Park Dog Park / 271 Smithfield Ave.
- Cunningham School /40 Baldwin St.
- Saint Anthony’s Church / 7 Bloomingdale Ave.
- ***Temporarily Unavailable*** Baldwin School, 50 Whitman St.
- Marrin & Pine Street lot / Marrin St.
- George & Grace Street lot / George St.
- Max Read Field/ 540 Pleasant St.
- Third level only of Parking Garage / 45 Park Place
- City Hall Front Lot / 137 Roosevelt Ave.
- Humes & Broad Street lot/ Humes St.
EAST SIDE PARKING AREAS:
- Broadway and Exchange Street lot / Broadway
- Winters School / 481 Broadway
- Curvin McCabe School / 466 Cottage St.
- Curtis School / 582 Benefit St.
- Tomlinson Field Complex / 401 Daggett Ave.
- Potter-Burns School / 973 Newport Ave.
- Goff Middle School / 974 Newport Ave.
- Newport & Whittier lot / Whittier Rd.
- Littlefield & Armistice lot / Littlefield St.
- Agnes Little School / 60 S. Bend St.
- Fallon School / 62 Lincoln Ave.
- Newport Ave Fire Station/ Lot south of Station
- Slater Park ball field lots
A number-coded map showing all alternate off-street parking locations in the city is available here.
Sidewalk Clearing
Responsibilities:
- Property owners, occupants, or responsible individuals must clear snow and ice from sidewalks within the first 12 hours of daylight after a storm ends.
Fines:
- The Zoning Department is diligent about issuing these fines as it poses a massive safety threat if sidewalks are not cleared.
- First offense: $25. Additional fines may apply for repeated violations.
- Fines are issued at the end of each snowstorm, not at the end of the season.
Senior Snow Shoveling Program
- The snow shoveling program is currently at capacity, but seniors can join the waiting list. Contact Herb Weiss at hweiss@pawtucketri.gov or call the Senior Center at (401) 728-7582.
- Seniors on the waiting list will have shoveling-related fines waived. However, we can not guarantee that removal will take place based on the length of the waitlist.
For youth volunteers:
- Local youth interested in helping shovel snow for seniors can sign up here.
School Cancellations
The Pawtucket School Department uses its own messaging system to communicate directly with parents about school-related updates, including cancellations, delays, and early dismissals. If you are not currently receiving these updates, we encourage you to contact your child’s school to ensure your contact information is up to date.
These updates will also be included in the City’s general messaging, but for the most timely and accurate information, we recommend following the School Department’s platform.
Stay connected by visiting the Pawtucket School Department’s website and following them on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.
Warming Shelters
During extreme cold or power outages, residents can visit the following warming shelters:
- Pawtucket Police Department Headquarters
- 121 Roosevelt Ave. | Open 24 hours daily
- Pawtucket Public Library
- 13 Summer Street
- Mon – Thu: 9 AM – 8:45 PM | Fri – Sat: 9 AM – 4:45 PM
- Open Sundays (October – May): 12 PM – 3:45 PM
- Leon Mathieu Senior Center
- 420 Main Street | Mon – Fri: 8:30 AM – 4 PM
- Open Doors Shelter
- 1139 Main Street | Open 24 hours daily
- Blackstone Valley Visitor’s Center
- 175 Main Street | Open 10 AM – 4 PM daily
RI Energy: Power Outages
In case of power outages, contact RI Energy. View the current outage map here: RI Energy Outage Map.
Storm Questions and Contact Information
- For Emergency:
- Call 911
- For non-emergency safety concerns:
- Call the Pawtucket Police Station: (401) 727-9100, Ext. 888.
- For plowing, snow or ice removal, and any storm-related concerns:
- Call the Department of Public Works Snow Hotline: (401) 728-0500, Ext. 233.
- Email: storms@pawtucketri.gov.
Let’s work together to keep Pawtucket safe and accessible this winter! If you have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to the appropriate contacts listed above.