Snow or no, overnight parking ban goes into effect
BY JAMES SCALZITTI Staff Reporter/jscalzitti@suntimes.com December 1, 2012 1:28PM
Despite unseasonably mild temperatures and no snow in sight for the foreseeable future, the enforcement of Chicago’s winter overnight parking ban still took effect, to the likely chagrin of more than 300 vehicle owners, early Saturday.
And city tow truck drivers were busy, hauling away nearly 120 more cars than they did on the first night of the ban last year. According to the Department of Streets and Sanitation, 301 vehicles were towed from the 107 miles of arterial streets where parking is banned between 3 and 7 a.m. from Dec. 1 to April 1.
The city says drivers who ignore the ban prevent critical routes from being fully plowed and salted when it snows. During a heavy snow, a build-up of snow next to parked vehicles further reduces traffic flow.
The ban is enforced regardless of whether there is snow on the ground or in the forecasts.
If your car is towed, the fee is a minimum of $150, in addition to the $60 ticket you’ll receive, plus a storage fee of $10 per day.
On Dec. 1, 2011, the first night of the ban last year, 188 vehicles were towed and about 459 violations issued. Streets and San did not have information on the number of tickets issued this morning.
