New or modified curb cut (driveway cut) must be approved prior to the Cambridge Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department’s Building Permit approval.

In order to apply for a curb cut, the property owner must first fill out an Application for Driveway Cuts and Openings, or pick up the application at the Inspectional Services Department at 831 Massachusetts Ave or the DPW at 147 Hampshire St.

Once the application is properly filled out it is then:

1. Submitted back to Inspectional Services. The application is then
2. Reviewed by Inspectional Services and, if approved, it is then
3. Sent on to Traffic, Parking and Transportation, the Historical Commission and the Cambridge DPW. Once approved by these City departments, the application
4. Goes before the City Council for final approval. Once the City Council approves the curb cut, the application is then
5. Sent back to the DPW for schedule of construction. The full cost of the curb cut must be paid to Public Works before the construction can begin.

The Cambridge Traffic, Parking and Transportation curb cut guidelines include the following: 

• Curb cuts shall be per Cambridge DPW specifications.
• Curb cuts must have safe sightlines (minimum 20-foot visibility in both directions) for motorists entering the roadway or crossing a public sidewalk.
• Concrete sidewalks should continue level across the driveway curb cut. 
• Driveway slopes must not exceed 7.5% within 15-feet of a public sidewalk or roadway.
• Curb cuts shall be maximum 20-feet wide in Residential districts and maximum 30-feet wide in Open Space, Business and Industrial districts (Zoning Ordinance 6.43.3).
• Site Plans must show driveway and curb cut widths, slopes and distance from nearest intersection.

Contact Jeff Parenti, Senior Traffic Engineer via email, jparenti@cambridgema.gov or call 617-349-4715 for additional information.