Edmonton declares parking ban as crews brace for heavy snowfall

A snowfall warning in Edmonton and surrounding areas has led to the declaration of a city-wide parking ban. CTV News Edmonton's Marek Tkach has the story.

A citywide parking ban has been declared for Wednesday evening ahead of what officials say could be a busy day for road cleanup crews during a heavy Edmonton snowfall.

Monday’s uncharacteristically tepid weather gave way to freezing rain and slick roads on Tuesday. The weather is now calling for a yellow-level snowfall warning, meaning Wednesday may see 10-20 cm of snow and gusty winds.

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A Phase 1 parking ban is set to begin on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and is expected to last for three to five days depending on snowfall, a city media release says.

During a Phase 1 parking ban, no one is able to park on arterial roads, collector roads, bus routes or roads within business improvement areas for all hours of the day until snow clearing has been completed.

No-park zones include roadways marked with white “Seasonal No Parking” signs.

Residents are still able to park on residential streets. Parking will be re-opened on roads where it’s normally allowed once crews have cleared the snow.

A separate announcement will be made by the city when the parking ban is lifted or if the city declares a Phase 2 parking ban, which would include residential and industrial roadways.

Drivers who don’t follow a parking ban could be ticketed $250 or be towed.

The city has also reminded property owners to clear sidewalks or temporarily lay down sand or gravel. Free sand is available around the city.

Not clearing your property’s sidewalk could run a fine of $100 plus any additional cleanup costs, the city said.

Road crews at work

Valerie Dacyk, the city’s supervisor for snow and ice removal, said road crews were out in full force to tackle ever-changing road conditions.

“The temperature has not been conducive to getting a roadway clean and keeping it clean, but we are up for the challenge,” Dacyk said in an interview Tuesday.

“We have all of our trucks and other equipment out reacting to the situation.”

The focus Tuesday, she added, was to get as much ice off the roads as possible for a clean snowfall base by the next morning – but she advises drivers to still be cautious as snow begins to stick to the ground again and trucks switch from sanding to plowing roadways.

“As always, take your time. Give yourself a little bit of extra time to get to work or wherever you’re going. And as always, give our crews room to work, and we can get those roads as clear as possible for you,” she said.

Donewell Property Services, a landscaping and snow removal company based in Sherwood Park, echoed city comments on crews being kept busy around the clock.

“We’ve gone through, to give you an idea, (more than) 200,000 pounds of ice melt in the last week alone,” owner Jared Stevens said on Tuesday. “I don’t know how many elephants that is, but it’s a lot of elephants, and we can’t keep it in stock quick enough.”

Wednesday’s forecast calling for high winds also complicates the process for crews as snow drifts accumulate along roads, he added.

“People should be prepared to cancel their travel plans tomorrow, including us,” he added.

“We can only work as quickly as we can. Everyone walking around, especially the elderly or children or anyone with mobility issues, really needs to take responsibility for their own safety during this time, because it’s extremely dangerous out there.”

A live map of where plows are out on the road can be found on the City of Edmonton website.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Marek Tkach