Residential parking ban goes into effect tonight

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This article was published 27/12/2016 (3233 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

IF you’re not in the know, chances are you could get towed.

That’s because hundreds of pieces of snow-clearing equipment will be tackling residential streets starting tonight and the city has declared the residential parking ban takes effect at 7 p.m.

The city is reminding people to know their snow-zone letter so they can get their vehicles off snow-clogged residential streets.

Cars parked in violation of the residential parking ban could receive a $150 ticket ($75 if paid early) and face the likelihood of being towed.

The city started plowing back lanes at 7 a.m. Tuesday and will continue for the next three days, prioritizing areas based on garbage collection. Public works spokesman Ken Allen said they want to clear a path so collectors can get through.

The city still recommends residents limit travel to essential trips as some 400-450 pieces of heavy equipment continue the dig out of the nearly 33-centimetre snowfall.

Crews have also plowed about half of Winnipeg’s sidewalks, but Allen said if people are antsy to have their sidewalks cleared, they could start clearing the walks themselves if they are able to.

“If you’re able to, clear the walk yourself,” he said during a media briefing Tuesday. “But we’re going to come along and do a nice, complete job when we get to that level of priority.”

High winds have produced major drifting and residential streets continue to have “significant accumulations” of snow prompting the switch from trucks to graders for plowing Monday night.

“That’s where we bring out the big iron,” Allen said. “That’s where we’re able to scrape the snow right down to the pavement.”

Allen said the cleanup from this storm could cost the city close to $6 million or $7 million. He said it’s hard to estimate the total until the job is complete, but normally a major snow clearing costs close to that amount.

The expense is likely to obliterate any funds remaining in the city’s snow-clearing budget, which stood at around $10 million a month ago, before the city was forced to shell out for two major snow-clearing operations.

The declared parking ban ended at 7 a.m. this morning. It prohibited parking on snow routes between midnight and 7 a.m., to extend the time snowplows had on streets, said Allen.

The snow route ban will be in place until snow clearing is completed and the public will be notified when the ban is lifted. At such time, the annual snow route parking ban will continue to be in effect from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Handi-Transit, which started back up at noon Tuesday, is again transporting all clients.

courtney.bannatyne@freepress.mb.ca