There will be more rules about parking on city streets during the winter if council approves a new bylaw Monday night.
Based on recommendations by Mercury Associates, city staff have prepared new legislation naming specific snow and ice control routes where vehicles can not park or stop to ease snow plowing.
The bylaw limits overnight parking annually between Oct. 15 and April 15 from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. in the city's first-priority snow clearing areas - main arterial roads, the hospital district and priority hills. On-street parking in the downtown central business district - bordered by First and 15th Avenues and Vancouver and Queensway Roads - would be restricted between midnight and 7 a.m.
The city manager or public works department management would also be able to declare other parking restrictions as needed, which would take effect after the specifics are posted on the city's website and a press release has been sent out.
Rules surrounding parking on residential streets will remain the same, but will be folded in to the new bylaw. Vehicles are already not supposed to park overnight beside an even numbered civic address between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Breaking the bylaw comes with a $50 parking fine, which will be reduced to $25 if paid within 21 days. Bylaw, parking enforcement or police officers also have the power under the bylaw to have vehicles towed.
Putting the bylaw into effect will require $25,000 worth of new signs along the snow routes and a $10,000 communication/education plan, said a staff report.
Council will also be asked to amend their snow and ice control procedure, which would place main arterial roads, the downtown central business district, priority hills, the hospital district and civic facility entrances, parking lots and pathways on the same priority level to be cleared within 48 hours of the end of a snowfall.
Currently, downtown streets are the first-night priority, with other main roads cleared once the core roads are finished.
The second priority roads would be changed to all bus routes that are not main arterial roads and all commercial/industrial roads. Residential streets would be cleared within 72 hours of the second-priority roads getting plowed.
"These are estimated for an average 10-15 cm snowstorm, a combined fleet of city forces and rental equipment consisting of a total of 10 graders and 16 loaders, and crews working 12-hour [shifts] after a snowstorm," said a staff report. Longer timeframes would be expected for heavier snowfalls in a 24-hour period or if there's a combination of storms.
Changing the procedure is estimated to add between $150,000 to $200,000 to the operating budget, said the staff report.
