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A city-wide parking ban introduced in Edmonton last year will likely be implemented for the first time this winter with significant snowstorms projected.
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The two-phase parking ban will apply to all roads in the city after major snow events and will be declared with at least eight hours notice, said Andrew Grant, the city’s general supervisor of infrastructure field operations, during a media availability Wednesday morning. Crews will first focus on business districts, bus routes and arterial roads within 48 hours.
Then, plows will move to residential streets in phase two of the ban, which could take between seven to nine days. But Grant said residents can again park on residential streets that have been cleared of snow and don’t need to wait until the ban has ended.
Even though this is the second winter that the parking restriction is in place, Grant said the city will not be issuing the designated $100 fine for non-compliance but will instead give out warnings and focus on education this season if the parking ban is implemented. No parking bans were implemented last winter due to a lack of major snow events with the largest snowfall in November at the beginning of the season.
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“The parking ban was implemented last season but we hadn’t had an opportunity to use it yet, so this year is likely our year,” Grant said. “We as a city understand that this is something new and it’s going to take some time for our citizens to fully comprehend how the parking ban works. So for this winter season, we’re going to be taking an educational approach and providing warnings to citizens around the parking ban.”
For residents in need of an alternative parking option during a ban, the city will be providing 115 select stalls and 20 lots for parking access, including at city facilities, parks and Edmonton Public Library branches. These locations will be marked with signage and will be cleared of snow. A full list of current locations can be found on the city’s website and locations will be expanded over time.
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Other changes to the city’s snow response this year will include more frequent service in residential areas, Grant said, to better respond to the common freeze-thaw cycles. The budget remains around $60 million.
“We’ll be sending our trucks into residential areas on a more frequent basis with a goal to just minimize the snow buildup in those areas. The more often we’re there, the smaller the windrows will be in an effort to minimize the risk when it comes to the freeze-thaw cycles that Edmonton experiences,” he said.
Residents are encouraged to visit the city’s website for more details on the parking ban and to sign up for an email notice when they are declared.