Evanston officials are asking city residents to try a new approach to after-the-storm parking this weekend.
Based on the amount of snow that’s fallen, the progress of snow removal work and expected temperatures above freezing on Sunday — they aren’t imposing alternate-side snow emergency parking regulations on residential streets for the weekend.
Instead they’re asking residents to voluntarily park on primary routes during the day today to allow crews to clear both sides of residential streets today.
Public Works Director Suzette Robinson says crews expect to wrap up snow removal operations by early Sunday morning when temperatures are expected to reach nearly 40 degrees.
The clearing of snow around parking meters and in city parking lots will continue tonight.
The snow route parking ban in effect overnight from Friday to Saturday won’t be repeated tonight.
Snow Removal
How about sticking to the old parking plan,not all 70+thousand residents read Evanston now,though they should. Also you should have the job done Saturday,not Sunday.
Voluntarily Parking on Cleared Snow Routes
How many people will know about this? How many people will do it since it's volunteer? There are still snow covered cars in front of my house, so my street won't get plowed very well. I don't think much of this move by the city, since the above normal temperatures tomorrow, plus precipitation, will make ice on the residential streets and they can't be salted well if the snow isn't cleared.
See how it works. Maybe I am wrong. But if the residential streets aren't cleared by this volunteer move, please don't do it again. That's what the alternate side parking is all about.
Take the residential area
Take the residential area bordered by Main Street, Asbury Avenue, Oakton Street, and Dodge Avenue. Not counting any other residential areas, the cars on Washington Street could park on Main Street (although some of Main has no parking) and the cars on Dewey Avenue could park on Dodge Avenue. Cars on South Boulevard could park on Oakton, and cars on Wesley Avenue could park on Asbury Avenue, where parking is allowed. So what about cars on Madison, Monroe, Cleveland, Keeney and Seward Streets, and cars on Florence Avenue?? There is not enough room on major streets for all the cars in residential areas. Just look at a map. Even if everyone were required to follow this plan, it wouldn't work.
City Lots
If the city were seriously committed to this and other snow removal plans, they would have discounted or free parking in city lots during snow removal hours. It would be much more practical for getting the job done.
South Blvd.
I live on a pretty major road, and one side went completely un-plowed all weekend. On the side streets, one side went un-plowed all weekend. I don't blame the workers who plow the streets, I blame the complete lack of leadership at all levels in this city.
They decide to implement a new way of doing things after a snowfall has happened, with little to no knowledge of it from the citizens? CRAZY!
Plow the roads and tow the people who don't move their cars to make sure the job gets done. It's pretty easy stuff.
Suspicion
Complete speculation, but I thought perhaps this was the city attempting to avoid the OT wages for Saturday and double OT for Sunday for the plows and tow trucks…this would also be the reason for not calling snow emergency or plowing side streets on the last snowfall which happened on a Friday.
And I'm not sure how it could have been successful, as there isn't enough parking on 'primary routes' to hold all the cars that park on the side streets, even if everyone knew about this opt-in plan. I don't recall this even being sent out to the Evanston email list I subscribe to.
Snow removal parking
I do not know what the city is thinking with this 'plan' but I hope you will go back to plowing as it is POSTED on the signs… it's already confusing enough and to make it become a voluntary situation is ridiculous. Even though we had some folks in our area who DID move their cars, because of those who didn't, the plows weren't able to clear the area for street parking.