Police Tow Away 2 Cars In Anti-Parking Crusade

Cambridge police last night towed away two out-of-state College students' cars to launch a new "clean-up" campaign on streets in the Harvard Square area. The cars, which were illegally parked on the sidewalk near the intersection of Mount Auburn and Boylston Streets, can be reclaimed anytime at the Ellery Garage at 418 Broadway, Cambridge.

According to the police, the cars had been tagged for illegal parking several times previously. When the owners did not appear at the station house in response to the tags, their cars were towed away. A City ordinance allows police to take such an action if repeated warnings are ignored by violators.

Car owners can reclaim their vehicles by first applying to the police station for a claim ticket, and then paying a fine at the garage to release their cars. The charge is $5 for the towing expense and $1 for storage.

Several out-of-state M.I.T. students also found yesterday morning that their cars had been removed by police overnight. Police Lieutenant Lark Cunningham said last night that some patrolmen had found old parking tags torn up in the street, which prompted the "clean-up" campaign. Policemen in a squad car in the Harvard Square district also reportedly told one student last night that they "were going to tow away several automobiles."

In another development, the Cambridge Traffic Board postponed its meeting to discuss the city parking problem from yesterday till 10 a.m. tomorrow. The Board will consider a City Council resolution which calls for a survey of possible parking areas near the Common and playgrounds, especially around Harvard Square.

The survey would be conducted by individual members of the Board, through the Police and Fire Departments and the Planning Board. Some preliminary work has already been done by the Police Department, but the survey is not expected to be completed for at least several weeks, according to one member of the Board.