Coming Dec. 1st: Winter Overnight Parking Ban Returns for Key Arterial Streets + Be Alert to Other Snow Parking Regulations
Streets & San Says To Watch For & Obey Posted Winter Restrictions
One of the surest signs of Winter in Chicago is the return of our annual snow-related parking restrictions.
Monday, December 1, 2008, at 3:00 AM, marks the seasonal reactivation of the Winter Overnight Parking Ban for a number of Chicago's most critical arterial streets. In other words, if you go to sleep on Sunday evening the ban will be in effect by the time you wake up on Monday morning.
Motorists should also pay attention to the 2-inch snow restrictions that are technically in effect all year round but realistically are only a factor during the winter months.
The Winter overnight parking ban resumes for approximately 107 miles of city streets from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. between December 1st and April 1st - REGARDLESS OF SNOW!
Enforcement begins Monday, December 1st at 3 a.m.
Signs for this seasonal restriction are permanently posted. Ignoring them can cost the violator a $150 towing fee (minimum), a $50 ticket and a daily storage fee of $10 that will increase over time. If you regularly park on one of these designated streets during non-winter months, it's a good idea to secure a safe and legal parking spot until the restrictions expire on April 1st.
A separate seasonal parking ban could be activated during a heavy snow on another 500 miles of main streets when there are two or more inches of snow on the street, no matter the time of day or the calendar date. While this restriction is not activated frequently, motorists that violate it face ticketing and relocation to a space nearby.
Both of these seasonal restrictions are indicated on permanently posted signs along the designated routes. Together they constitute Chicago's "Snow Route System," which was created as a response to massive snow storms, including the Great Blizzard of '67, which halted traffic citywide."
"We learned from past winter storms that there are several critical routes spanning the city that must be kept open at all times for emergency vehicles, buses and cars to get thorough," stated Mike Picardi, Commissioner of Streets & Sanitation.
The department has found that most people tend to leave their cars in place during a storm. Illegally parked cars on these roadways prevent the routes from being fully plowed and salted. The snow that continues to fall gets pushed up against these vehicles by passing plows and that further restricts the traffic capacity of the street.
"We depend on our residents with cars to help us keep these critical roadways open to full capacity by obeying our winter parking regulations," said Commissioner Picardi. "Working together will help to ensure that we all make it through the winter safely."
