12°c Partly cloudy
6°c Clear
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Snow-clearing parking ban spins its tires
Confusion blankets new system
Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press A front-end loader clears snow from around a bus stop on Burrows Avenue Monday morning. (MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store
Related Items
In what seems like a winter of discontent, Winnipeg city hall is again causing mass confusion as it rolls out its second major service program in recent weeks.
This time it's a new system of residential parking bans and snow zones, which kicked in before most citizens knew how it worked. The city had planned to do a public education program this Thursday and present the new alphabet of city zones, but Mother Nature didn't wait and 27 centimetres of snow fell on the weekend. As well, the city's new Know Your Zone website crashed Monday, although it was working again within an hour.
This week's confusion comes only a month after city hall was flooded with complaints about a new system of collecting trash and recyclable materials.
"We still need to do a better job communicating this program," Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) said of the snow-zone system.
On Tuesday, city officials recognized its education campaign for the new system was faulty and granted amnesty to citizens ticketed for not moving vehicles during the snowstorm clean-up. This time, they will not have to pay fines of up to $150.
"We wanted to give the citizens of Winnipeg the benefit of getting to know their zones," said Ken Boyd, city streets maintenance manager.
On Monday night, 45 tow trucks couldn't keep up with the number of vehicles violating the residential parking ban. Close to 500 vehicles were towed on Monday to make way for plows, and another 2,700 received warning brochures.
The situation prompted a flood of calls to the city's 311 hotline, which received between 1,100 and 1,200 calls from citizens since Saturday. Boyd said most of the calls were from residents who wanted to find out their snow zone.
There were also some initial delays with Monday's garbage pickup, and the city advises residents not to put out their garbage and recycling carts until 7 a.m. on their designated collection day until the snow-clearing is finished.
Another complaint about the new parking ban in snow zones is that people who have to move their vehicle don't know where to safely park. The system is such that people can't figure out what streets aren't being cleared while theirs is being plowed, said Fort Rouge resident Ron Evans.
Browaty said the new system will be an improvement once the kinks are out because overnight parking bans can be issued with greater precision. It allows the parking bans in specific areas to run just 12 hours versus the three days it will take to clean residential streets after last weekend's snowstorm.
The new program comes one month after the rocky citywide launch of changes to Winnipeg's garbage and recycling collection system. Collections were initially plagued by delays and missed pickups across the city, prompting a slew of complaints.
While the city will hand out only warnings in the current plowing operation, expected to wrap up on Thursday, future violations will bring fines. Motorists who park their vehicle on a street during a parking ban will be fined and their vehicles towed.
Under the new bylaw, residents who don't move their vehicle must pay up to $150 and their auto will be towed to a plowed street or to one not scheduled to be plowed at that time. The city will use its snow-clearing budget to pay the cost of towing vehicles to nearby streets in the current plowing operation, Boyd said.
"This is, as you're well aware, a new system for residents, city staff and contractors, and we all have a steep learning curve to make sure the operation runs smoothly," Boyd said.
The city expects it will cost $3 million to clear residential streets following the weekend storm, which dumped 20 centimetres of snow across most of southern Manitoba. Crews have already cleared major streets and thoroughfares, costing the city about $1 million.
Residents can find out their zone by logging on to knowyourzone.winnipeg.ca or phoning 311. At 7 a.m. today, residents in snow zone A need to move their vehicles, as plowing will be underway until 7 p.m.
bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca jen.skerritt@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 14, 2012 A8
More Local
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
Poll
Most Popular Local
- Firefighters pull man from submerged vehicle
- Rainfall warning issued for southern Manitoba
- Apple trick on Ellen falls short for city woman
- The end of the credit card?
- Mourners line up to pay respects to Elijah Harper
- Couple faces new charges of sexual assault
- Power restored to Linden Woods after goose collides with lines
- Gentle, humble native leader who made history lies in state
- Police identify slaying victims
- WAG's 100 Masters exhibit drawing more than art aficionados
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Police identify slaying victims
- 'Responsible Winnipeg' ads appear on sign run by mayor-owned Goldeyes' baseball park
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Headingley grass fire destroys dealership's cars
- Province removing red tape in alcohol sales
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Co-worker 'sick' today? Maybe it's the $17M flu
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Parents, community relieved and elated as missing boy found safe
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Man missing since 2009 found safe
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- Power restored to Linden Woods after goose collides with lines
- Firefighters pull man from submerged vehicle
- Accomplished Paralympian wins seat in B.C. legislature
- Elijah Harper: The humble man who said no
- WAG's 100 Masters exhibit drawing more than art aficionados
- Rainfall warning issued for southern Manitoba
- Police identify slaying victims
- Goose gets cooked in Linden Woods
- Tuxedo residents allege nightmare neighbour
- Was it a dust-up or an assault?
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Fishing for fashion
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Newly minted MD a beacon for kids in youth program
- Power restored to Linden Woods after goose collides with lines
- North End proud
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Mental-health patients get own ER
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Black market in moose thrives
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Steen invests $1M in family entertainment centre
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Boost same-sex curricula: union
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.