Now's the time to plan where you'll park for Marathon weekend, so you don't end up on the hook. And, be warned, the city does tow every car left in the way of the racers.
If you normally park on the streets along the route of the weekend's races, you may want to begin looking for spaces off-the-route. If you can do without your car for a few days, consider stashing it in a safe spot before everyone else has the same idea. And, remember the bike lanes on Massachusetts Avenue have eliminated more than 70 spaces so finding on-street parking will be harder than ever.
Here's a Google map that locates public parking facilities using the Boston Marathon Finish Line as the central point.
And, if you'll need your car on Monday, you should make sure it's on the side of the Marathon route where you can reach it and get to your planned destination.
Here are some transportation restrictions & parking tips for Boston Marathon volunteers from the B.A.A. Site.
Sunday, April 15, 2012 - The B.A.A. 5K
Again this year, there's a major race on Sunday in addition to Monday's marathon.
Thousands of runners are expected to compete in a 5K (3.1 mile) race one day prior to 116th Boston Marathon. This race will start at 8 AM and cover a route through parts of the Back Bay and Beacon Hill, ending at the traditional Boston Marathon finish line.
Here's a link to the 5K course map on the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) site.
Plus, there are the Invitational Mile races that will also be held on Sunday, April 15, 2012. For details, including streets affected by this event, go to Invitational Mile 2012.
Street Closures and Parking Restrictions for Marathon Monday, April 16, 2012
Parking restrictions for the Marathon often begin on Boylston Street five or six-days before the event. From this point, until the last runners are safely across the finish line, you'll see more and more "No Parking/No Stopping" signs pop-up along the marathon route and some adjacent streets.
Remember, many streets in the Copley Square area will be impacted by the marathon. The best advice is to park your vehicle and walk and/or take public transportation.
For more information on road closures, here's the City of Boston's:
The City says: "Patriot’s Day Holiday – Monday April 16, 2012 ... Street Cleaning: No MONDAY cleaning (resumes 12:01AM Tuesday on posted arterials)"
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Words: Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2008 Penny Cherubino