News Release

Seasonal Parking Ban Declared

Crews to clear arterial and collector roadways this weekend

The City of Edmonton is declaring a seasonal parking ban on collector bus routes effective at 11pm Friday, November 28, 2014.

“Due to the amount of snowfall over the last few days, we need to dedicate our efforts on the collector/bus routes so that the driving lanes stay clear,” said Bob Dunford, Director of Roadway Maintenance. “We ask that residents along these routes find alternative parking to help us get the roads cleaned as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Vehicles still parked on designated parking ban routes after 11pm tonight are subject to tagging and towing for as long as the ban is in effect so that roadway maintenance crews can do as effective and efficient a job as possible. Residents are reminded that even if plows have made an initial pass, the ban will remain in effect until plowing is complete across the entire city. Those who park on routes covered by the ban remain subject to tagging/towing until the ban is officially lifted.

Crews began their response to the snow event in the early hours of Thursday, November 27 and have continued to work around the clock on plowing, blading and sanding. There were 159 pieces of hired equipment on the roads Thursday night and 198 pieces of City equipment, for a total of 291 plows and graders on the road. Dunford said that while a lot of work remains to be done once the snow stops falling, the impressive turnout of hired equipment means traffic can keep moving through the day on major routes.

As for drivers, Dunford reminded citizens to be cautious and drive to winter conditions.

“Please be careful around plows and graders,” he said. “They’re out on the road 24-hours a day. Help them do their jobs by keeping a safe distance.”

The City has not yet announced when the neighbourhood blading cycle will begin as the work is dependent on how arterial and collector plowing progresses over the course of the day on Friday.

Residents can stay informed about the parking ban and other winter road maintenance activities by monitoring local media, checking the City of Edmonton website, keeping tabs on the City’s Twitter and Face Book accounts, watching for digital message boards and transit electronic messaging, and by signing up for the email notification system is available at edmonton.ca/snowparking.