Despite heavy snowfalls, the City has never instituted a parking ban
CITY WOULD HAVE TO BE PARALYZED, SAYS TRANSPORTATION OFFICIAL
Winter storms have created havoc on Calgary roads. Major pile-ups have closed essential freeways.
And parking bans have been issued, allowing crews to plow the snow on some of Calgary’s main thoroughfares.
In Lethbridge, officials can order a similar ban. Drivers ignoring the order could see their vehicles towed away.
But that’s never happened, says transportation operations chief Lee Perkins. And despite this week’s deep and persistent snowfall, no ban is being contemplated.
“Basically, the city would have to be paralyzed,” he says, before parking would be prohibited on main routes like 13 Street North and South.
“It would have to be an extraordinary situation.”
Even so, Perkins says, residents along the city’s emergency snow routes are sent a letter each fall, reminding them that Lethbridge has a bylaw allowing cars to be ticketed or towed away if they’re still parked there after a ban has been announced. Names of those who request, he adds, are placed on a list of residents who are sent an online message if an emergency ban is ordered.
As well, Perkins says, “no parking” signs have been placed all along those streets reminding drivers of the restriction “when declared.”
That decision, he adds, would likely be made at the city manager’s level, after consulting with transportation managers and emergency services. Fire, EMT and police officials were involved in determining which routes must be kept open.
A list of 42 Lethbridge streets — many of them on bus routes — was created, including such obvious ones as Stafford Drive, 23 Street North, 6 Avenue and 10 Avenue South, College Drive, and Columbia and McMaster Boulevards West. For the whole list, check the snow and ice section under the Living Here tab, then Getting around, on the City’s website, lethbridge.ca.
The emergency ban may remain in effect for 72 hours, Perkins says — and can be extended for another 72. Bylaw officials may issue tickets or tow away vehicles (or both) as they can in Calgary.
“Thankfully, we’ve never had to do that.”
When city-wide street sweeping begins in spring, Perkins adds, Lethbridge bylaw officials are authorized to issue parking tickets as well.
In some Canadian cities, he points out, winter snowstorms — and winter parking restrictions — are much more severe. Perkins cites Montreal, Halifax and hilly St. John’s, N.L., as cities where curbside parking on some arterial streets is completely banned from autumn until spring.
Vehicles are towed, “even if it’s 20 C above.”