To add to Molly's comment above, I was driving down Alden toward Chapel around 9AM and a tow truck from Chapel came speeding down the road toward me straddling the yellow line. It did not yet have a car on it. I beeped my horn, but the tow truck just stayed in the middle of the road and did not even slow down.

People get the names of these companies and report it to the towing supervisor and district manager.

Lemme guess Megills, who constantly drive wrecklessly and exceed 50 mph on valley street on a regular basis, worst towing company in town. York, who never obey traffic signals and only have a contract with the city because of WHO they know. Report it 203-946-6316 ask for towing supervisor. Request a follow-up.

I have seen these tow trucks constantly disregard all traffic laws and have called in on them- doesn't seem to have done much, maybe we can get some video of these guys on these days since its now posted when they are doing this. Report it on channel 8. Call them. I will if you do.

and to top it off- the street sweepers are NOT sweeping many of the leaves that are curbside! I guess the residents need to "rake" the streets!

To the poster's original concern-- the signage about this was also woefully inadequate on Central Ave.

Thanks for the feedback. We will weigh it accordingly when planning next year's street sweeping. This six week additional Tag-Tow street sweeping operation was added to address our resident's concerns from last year and to help us clean streets citywide before the winter season. All city neighborhoods were made Tag-Tow for this special street sweeping schedule only. Please follow this link from the city website to read the additional presnow schedule: http://cityofnewhaven.com/PublicWorks/sweep/index.asp We did utilize a variety of media approaches- conventional and social- but will reconsider approaches as well. Thanks

Is there a way for residents who feel they were towed erroneously to get those fees back from the city?

Residents and non residents can challenge parking tickets online here:http://cityofnewhaven.com/TrafficParking/

And what about the towing costs that residents were saddled with? Is there a website where residents can challenge those?

Agreed-- especially like West Rock where the signage was so bad.

Towing costs are made payable to the Towing Company not the city. Here's another link to the Traffic Transportation and Parking website which gives you a list of circumstance surrounding parking issues that includes an option to lodge a complaint or comment on towing practices. http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/TrafficParking/ParkingPrograms.asp

No one expects that he or she will get those costs back from the tow companies--but they are taking cars at the request of your department.

There are several complaints about poor signage, and your collective response falls somewhere between 'We don't believe you and Signage?! But we have a website.'

Yes, residents can (maybe) get their tickets forgiven, but from what I'm understanding by your response, when it comes to towing costs, the department's response is 'tough tacos.'

For those parents whose cars were towed this morning, a note from Ward 25 Alder Adam Marchand's recent e-news:

"I have heard that some parents had their cars towed this morning during the morning drop off period. I am actively following up with the Chief Administrative Officer of the City of New Haven to find out why the tow crews targeted this particular part of our neighborhood at that particular time, which was problematic, to say the least. Please contact me if your vehicle was towed this morning from outside Edgewood School."

Adam can be emailed at adammarchand25@gmail.com.

Tow truck operators were verbally abusive to parents who tried to persuade them to wait five minutes for parents to return to their cars after dropping off their children at Edgewood School. There was absolutely NO SIGNAGE on Yale Ave in front of the school. Forgiving the tickets is not enough. These people deserve to be reimbursed for ALL costs incurred. The response from Public Works is insultingly insufficient.

Ridiculous to tow at a school at drop off time. This administration needs to get its act together. Only 1 sign on 1 side of our block of central ave. I know people who never knew in advance and would have been towed because of this. Terrible communication just like the tommy fund run this year. Can't wait til the first major snow storm.....

Alden Ave had NO signs and NO cars towed. Therefore there are leaves all along the curbs. The area in front of my of my house has never been swept in the last few years. The area is never posted, cars are never towed. Why don't we get the same service on this street that other streets in the city get?

TOW TRUCK OPERATORS ABUSIVE TO PARENTS ?? If you are abusive to City employees in City Hall you will be arrested.

How as a representative of the City do these drivers get away with this behavior ??? We complain about tow truck drivers not obeying traffic laws year after year after year after year after year after year and yet NOTHING IS EVER DONE ABOUT IT.

Can we have a second police car observe the tow truck drivers since the ticketing police car is ahead of the tow truck drivers and make all the participating companies pay for equally for the xtra officer to keep them in line.

I would like to add my voice to those of my fellow residents, in expressing my total frustration with the way that tow truck drivers completely disobey many traffic laws on these street sweeping days (seemingly jacked up on adrenaline), and how the cops are complicit in their lawlessness. I have long thought that the money made on this racket must prevent NHPD and successive administrations in City Hall from doing the right thing.

Anyone interested in organizing our fellow residents to fight back? I think a few well-placed complaints could make a difference. Maybe they already have a bit, through these posts.

Wow talk about avoiding the real issue and passing the buck. I'm surprised at Public Works. The signage is a public works issue. The tickets/towing is just a part of what happened.

Aren't the tow trucks that are contracted for this work under the supervision of the Police Department ?? There used to be a supervisor or officer at 1 Union that oversaw complaints about the way the tow truck drivers under city contracts behave and drive.

Please note the name of the Tow Company if you see them and PLEASE report them. Change cannot be made without making the powers that be aware of what we experience. VIDEO !!!!

They will be back in Westville tomorrow (Thursday) to torment the other side of the streets. Document where there are and aren't signs. Document abusive behavior. Get plate numbers and company names. Also document how the police behave. Video is best. These vultures must be stopped. It's clear that the city will not reign them in unless we force them to.

I posted the original report regarding this. To be clear the actions of the tow truck drivers were both appalling and unsafe. I have to say I am utterly and completely disappointed with the Public Works' response to my post. As others have mentioned it was YOUR department who failed to post the proper signage regarding the towing process. It is YOUR department who makes the towing companies aware of the scheduled cleaning and gives them the authority to ticket and tow cars. Yet your response to my complaint was to say we'll keep it in mind for next year.

To be clear I was not one of the people towed this morning. But as an Edgewood parent who had to watch multiple trucks recklessly drive through intersections as we attempted to enter the school today, I share the concerns of those previously mentioned who sees your actions today as an utter failure.

Here's a thought. SeeClickFix is a wonderful resource. But perhaps some of the parents directly affected by your actions today don't read this site. How about in a good faith effort you contact the Principal of Edgewood who knows the families that were towed this morning to resolve this conflict. How about you contact the Principal to offer an apology for disrupting the start of the school day.

VERBALLY ABUSIVE TOW TRUCK DRIVERS - are they not contracted by the City therefore they are acting on behalf of the City- where the hell was the PD ??? oh yeah giving out tickets, eating donuts and letting the tow trucks drive anywhere they wanted without regard for traffic laws -

I like the report it to channel 8 idea.......

I was not towed either but witnessed what happened and was, and remain, outraged. Sadly, the pathetic response from public works is all we will hear. In the eyes of the city, this is adequate. The city will assume that the anger will die down in a few days and that they can continue to abuse us as always. It's time to prove them wrong. This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated from the tow truck drivers, the director of public works, or the elected officials who gladly accept contributions from the towing companies in exchange for their license to harass us. It's time to hold the city and its contractors accountable. I'm not sure what the next steps need to be, but we need to do something more substantive than complain on this forum, to which the city will not respond in a constructive way.

Btw, I found it fitting that calls to public works were repeatedly directed to a full voice mail box.

This is a great conversation among concerned citizens but you need to widen your audience. Has anyone contacted the mayor? Doesn't the buck stop at her desk? Would also encourage folks to contact channel 8 and use social media to pressure a more appropriate response from the city. The city apparently thinks it is okay to wait this out. In their minds, you will get over it.

I have complained several times about street sweeping problems. So I want to register my pleasure when I saw signs this AM for street sweeping, no cars to interfere, and a street that is swept as I looked out the window this afternoon. I only hope all of this work will hold for the future snow and plowing. The trees are still very full of trees.

I called the Mayor's office and they directed me to traffic and parking. I had to call back to tell them that complaints about tow truck drivers are supposed to be directed to the Police Department who oversees their operations, where do you think they transferred me to??? Back to traffic. The third call back I wanted to leave a complaint for the Mayor. I was transferred to Public Works.

So dysfunctional that the people who answer the phone at the mayor's office won't listen to what your saying and transfer you to the first department they think of while your speaking. How do you leave a complaint for the Mayor??? Ahh yes, just keep calling and calling and calling. Maybe make an appointment??

Thanks for all of your feedback during the 2016 Street Sweeping Season which operated from April-November. Since the weather so far has been somewhat mild, we have been able to sweep extra along arterial locations. Our seasonal focus now shifts to snow so we are closing this category. We will once again review your feedback before planning for the Street Sweeping 2017 Season. Happy New Year!