Snow Route Parking Ban to be lifted tonight

Calgary - The Snow Route Parking Ban that went into effect at 10 a.m. on Saturday will be lifted at 6 p.m. tonight, 16 hours ahead of schedule.

“We want to thank everyone who moved their vehicle off the snow routes during this ban. It really helps our crews clear snow from curb-to-curb which makes the roads safer for everyone,” says Roads Maintenance Manager Bill Biensch. “Crews can now start operations on residential routes sooner.”

Crews are currently finishing Day 2 of the 7 Day Snow Clearing Plan. Currently, there are 49 sanders and 24 graders working on roadways and 48 dedicated staff with 24 pieces of small equipment working on pedestrian facilities such as steps, walks, and pedestrian overpasses.

Once crews are finished their work on the main routes tomorrow, they will move into the residential areas where they will knock-down ruts and lay down material to ensure all roads are passable.

Biensch is asking citizens to be patient as crews are working on a priority system which is reset every time it snows.

“We have had more snow this month than any February in past five years and we are only 12 days in,” says Biensch. “Our snow clearing plan, which normally lasts seven days, has been active for 15 consecutive days due to multiple snows events. I would like to recognize City crews for their dedicated efforts during this time and all Calgarians for their support and patience as we work to get the job done.”

As of noon today, 50 hours into the ban, The Calgary Parking Authority had issued 1,920 tickets for non-compliance with the parking ban. The final numbers are expected to be slightly lower than the Feb. 5th parking ban which saw 2,945 tickets issued in just 46 hours.

“We had every available officer dedicated to snow route enforcement during this ban. It is our hope that every car would move off the snow route,” said Kevin Bulmer, Enforcement Coordinator with the Calgary Parking Authority. “Thousands of vehicles did comply and that made the snow clearing efforts more effective.”