Edmonton extends parking ban after giving out nearly 200 tickets

Edmonton is extending the parking ban put in place on Tuesday because too many people left vehicles on roads that crews need to clear snow on. 

A total of 186 vehicles were ticketed on Wednesday, the first day of a Phase 1 parking ban enacted the previous evening.

A city official warned Edmontonians on Tuesday the rules would be enforced for the first time during this parking ban, the season's third, as crews work around the clock to clear streets.

“Unfortunately, we are finding that many of our collector roadways and transit park and ride access roads are still populated with vehicles, making it more difficult for equipment to maintain those areas," Andrew Grant, the city's general supervisor of infrastructure field operations, parks and roads services, said on Thursday.

"We have had to adjust our operations, affecting the City’s progress and delaying completion.”

As a result, the city is extending the parking ban for another 24 to 48 hours after it was scheduled to end Thursday night.

A Phase 1 parking ban prohibits parking on arterial roads, collector roads, bus routes and roads in business improvement areas. Parking is allowed on roads as soon as they have been cleared.

Vehicles parked illegally may receive a $100 ticket or be towed.

No vehicles were towed on Wednesday.

"It takes a community effort to deliver on effective snow clearing," Grant said. "Please help our crews out and do not park on roads so the equipment can get through.”

The city plans to call a Phase 2 parking ban after all roads under Phase 1 are cleared, which will then mean Edmontonians cannot park on residential roads and alleyways and industrial area roads before snow is cleared.

The city will not be issuing tickets during this Phase 2 ban.