Somerville, Massachusetts, leverages automated enforcement technology to target high-risk areas, improving safety for all road users.
By Jay Landers
With more than 80,000 residents living within 4.2 square miles, Somerville, Massachusetts, is one of the most densely populated cities in New England. Located just outside of Boston, Somerville is known for its thriving, bike-friendly neighborhoods and bustling commercial districts.
The high population density and major business activity mean that Somerville must contend with the realities of limited parking, large numbers of pedestrians and cyclists, and the need for safer transportation systems.
Like a growing number of U.S. cities, Somerville adopted Vision Zero as part of its broader effort to improve public safety and mobility. An international initiative first adopted in Sweden in 1997, Vision Zero aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries through smarter infrastructure, education, and enforcement. This approach assumes that accidents are preventable and places responsibility on city systems, not just individual behavior.
Traffic congestion and limited parking exacerbate safety risks for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users. The city's Vision Zero initiative identified parking violations in critical areas, such as bus stops, crosswalks, and bike lanes, as a significant barrier to achieving its goals. When a vehicle blocks a crosswalk, for instance, it creates visibility hazards for drivers and pedestrians. Similarly, cars parked in bus stops force transit vehicles to unload passengers into active traffic lanes.
Traditional enforcement methods, such as deploying parking control officers, address some of these issues. However, resources are limited, and officers cannot monitor every trouble spot continuously. Somerville needed a more comprehensive approach to tackle these persistent problems. For this reason, the city turned to an automated solution that enables it to target the most critical locations in a cost-effective manner.
Initial pilot
During summer 2023, Somerville pilot-tested the patented Solar SafetyStick®, from Municipal Parking Services (MPS), to assess its potential for improving safety and compliance. A solar-powered device that resembles a bollard and is designed to continuously monitor illegal parking in critical zones, the SafetyStick is equipped with radar and a digital camera to capture timestamped images of violations, including a vehicle’s license plate and the duration of the infraction.
Once a potential violation is identified, the SafetyStick transmits the data to MPS’s cloud-based platform, where it is reviewed by city parking enforcement officers. Citations are issued only after officers confirm the violation and ensure that no extenuating circumstances apply.
Each SafetyStick installation includes prominent signage to inform drivers about camera enforcement, said Suzanne Rinfret, the director of parking for Somerville. This approach emphasizes transparency and aims to encourage compliance rather than relying solely on penalties. “It's a big yellow sign saying, ‘Camera Enforcement,’” Rinfret said. “You can't really miss it.”
'Huge change in behavior’
Somerville introduced the SafetyStick as part of a 60-day pilot program in Davis Square, one of the city’s busiest commercial districts. The trial targeted areas that frequently saw safety hazards due to illegal parking. Three of the devices were installed on Elm Street — a busy commercial corridor — with one at a bus stop, one near a fire hydrant, and one beside a crosswalk where no standing, stopping, or parking is allowed.
During the trial, the devices recorded 420 violations over 40 days, averaging more than 10 per day. Most violations occurred between 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Thirty-six percent of violations lasted between 3 and 10 minutes and 22% of violations lasted more than 10 minutes, with some lasting up to 1 hour.
“These types of violations are very difficult to catch” unless a parking enforcement officer is present at the scene, Rinfret said. “We catch them sometimes but don’t catch them other times because we’re not there 24/7.”
Having an automated tool that continuously monitors a given location and does not depend on a camera mounted to a car or bus changes the behavior of most drivers, Rinfret noted. “People have a tendency not to break the law when someone's watching,” she said.
In fact, driver compliance with parking requirements has improved significantly in locations in which SafetySticks are present, said Rob Matthews, the vice president of business development and sales for MPS. “We saw 10 violations per day during the pilot,” Matthews said. “It’s now down to 1 a day or fewer. It's a huge change in behavior.”
It’s also precisely the type of change that Somerville wants to see. “We don't want people to get a ticket,” Rinfret said. “We want people to be in compliance. In a perfect world, we would never issue a ticket. It's our goal to keep the public safe.”
Data-driven decision
The pilot’s results demonstrated the extent of the problem, providing city officials with data to support broader implementation.
“We gave them real data to gain their trust,” Rinfret said. “City councils want to be backed up with data. That's really important. This was able to provide that for us.”
Based on the pilot’s success, Somerville expanded the SafetyStick program citywide. Today, 19 devices operate in high-risk locations, including Davis Square and Magoun Square, with the goal of helping the city achieve its Vision Zero initiatives to prevent pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
The city also collaborates on monthly calls with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to prioritize enforcement near bus stops and along transit-heavy corridors. By keeping these areas clear, the SafetyStick supports more efficient bus operations and improves safety for riders.
Balancing efficiency with fairness
A key element of the SafetyStick program is its reliance on human oversight. Although the device automatically detects potential violations, parking enforcement officers review the evidence before citations are issued by mail.
“A sworn officer reviews the ticket to ensure that the license plate is right, that the color, make, and model of the vehicle are correct, and that the violation is correct,” Rinfret said. “It’s no different than when they’re writing a ticket” in person, she noted.
By combining automated detection with manual review, the system balances efficiency with fairness, helping to build public trust. At the same time, automated monitoring in those locations enables the city’s enforcement officers to focus on broader priorities. This approach also helps to ensure officer safety by reducing confrontations with angry members of the public who are upset about receiving a violation notice.
“Think about the attitude of someone who blatantly ignores public safety and parking laws,” Matthews said. “Are they more likely to harass or assault an enforcement officer? I think so. The SafetyStick prevents this,” he added.
The program’s financial structure also played a role in its viability. Under the city’s agreement with MPS, the company offers a free lease on the hardware and manages device maintenance and citation processing in exchange for a fixed license fee. This model enabled Somerville to implement the program without any upfront costs or ongoing maintenance or repair costs.
Before the city could begin using the SafetyStick, it had to make a minor legal adjustment so that it could conduct automated ticketing. Specifically, Somerville’s city council approved adhering to the section of Massachusetts law that allows cities to mail in-state citations within 5 business days or out-of-state citations within 10 business days.
Strides toward safer streets
The SafetyStick program is part of Somerville’s broader Vision Zero efforts to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. By focusing on compliance in high-risk areas, particularly bus stops and crosswalks, the city has reduced hazards for pedestrians and cyclists and made strides toward creating safer streets.
"When someone double parks or parks at a bus stop, that means the bus has to double park, which in turn makes people have to try to get to that,” Rinfret said. “It's not very safe. This initiative is getting people to comply with the [traffic] rules and helping us achieve Vision Zero," she said. “We are really serious about Vision Zero.”
The city intends to expand its automated detection program to include SafetySticks in other “problem areas” in which the safety of vulnerable road users can be improved, Rinfret said. “We're not going to saturate the city with them.” Rather, Somerville plans to deploy the devices at more bus stops, crosswalks, and bike and bus lanes.
To date, public response to the automated detection program has been positive, Rinfret said. “The residents are for it,” she said. “They are appreciative of the fact that people are parking better and more in compliance.” Improved compliance, in turn, helps the city’s residents feel safer, Rinfret said.
More broadly, automated detection is expected to contribute to other city goals, including improved public transportation and better environmental outcomes. Reducing illegal parking in congested areas helps improve traffic flow, boosting the performance and reliability of public transportation. “This is one small step that we can do as a municipality to help that, because that's really the goal,” Rinfret said.
Greater use of mass transit and decreased vehicle use also contribute to Somerville’s climate and sustainability goals, Rinfret noted. "Fewer cars in the city is better for the environment. It's a big full circle.”
JAY LANDERS is the editor-in-chief of Parking Today. He can be reached at jay@parkingtoday.com.
