Edmonton’s Phase 2 parking ban starts Monday for snow clearing

Edmonton to Start Phase 2 of Winter Parking Ban

The City of Edmonton will begin Phase 2 of its winter parking ban next week. This is to help clear the large amount of snow on residential roads.

Crews will start clearing residential roads at 7 a.m. on Monday. They expect to take about three days in each neighborhood. During this time, a parking ban will be in effect 24 hours a day.

“Each neighborhood will be scheduled for clearing and notice of this scheduling will occur at least 24 hours before the clearing begins,” the city said in a news release on Wednesday. “Yellow ‘no Parking’ signs are placed at main entrances to neighborhoods at least 24 hours in advance of clearing.”

Details of the Parking Ban

A Phase 1 parking ban started in late December. This was to help crews remove snow from arterial and collector roads, bus routes, and business improvement areas.

The city declares a Phase 2 parking ban when there are safety concerns or when snowpack on residential roads is more than 10 centimeters.

In December, Edmonton received 416 percent of the 30-year average precipitation, according to an Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist.

City’s Snow Clearing Efforts

Valerie Dacyk is the general supervisor for the city’s infrastructure field operations team. She said the city aims to make snow clearing as efficient as possible.

“We do have to clear and maintain roads in a priority order,” Dacyk said. “We want to get those highways [and] those high-speed roadways done first, and then followed up by the higher access corridors, and it continues down the priority order from there.”

The city estimates that about 3,800 kilometers of residential roadways will be cleared.

Ongoing Snow Cleanup

Edmonton is still dealing with snow cleanup from a snowfall that began on Christmas Eve. Snow crews are still working while many Edmontonians have returned to work and school. This has made it a rough start to the new year for some school bus drivers. Current road conditions can lead to accessibility issues.

“Residential roadways will be cleared to five centimeters of snowpack, with snow placed on windrows along the roadway, boulevard areas, and open green spaces where possible,” the city said. “Windrows will be placed in a manner that maintains necessary access for residents, including 1.5 car widths on driveways and corner crosswalks.”

The ban could last up to 14 days, excluding weekends. After this, the city will address snow clearing on cul-de-sacs.