City crews start plowing as snow route parking ban takes effect

About a dozen vehicleowners on Winnipeg Street might consider themselves lucky after theyignoredthe city'snew snowremoval test-route signs.

The City of Regina's 24-hour parking bantookeffect on Tuesday morning, although there were no plowsin sight or evidence ofor parking ban enforcement.

"Our focus is to determine if snow routes are right for our community, not on enforcement of the ban which is why we plan enforcement closer to the times when we will be plowing the route," saidChris Warren, manager of winter district maintenance with the City of Regina, in a statement.

Crews eventually arrivedaround 1 p.m., according to the City of Regina.

The24-hour parking ban was was put in place on a five-kilometre test route inthe following high-traffic areas:

• Victoria Avenue, between Broad Street and Winnipeg Street.
• Winnipeg Street, between Victoria Avenue and College Avenue.
• College Avenue, between Winnipeg Street andArcolaAvenue.

The parking ban allows crews to plow the roads from curb-to-curb, which the city says improves traffic flow along busy roadways.

It also ensures roads are passable for emergency response vehicles.

Although crews didn't arrive until the afternoon, the city said residents who chose to park on the street still ran therisk of a hefty $120 fine.

The snow route parking ban will be in effect from 6 a.m. on Dec. 5 until 6 a.m. the next day.

"It starts at6 a.m.to follow the shifts of winter-maintenance crews," said Warren, indicating that workers plow nearly 275 kilometres of snowy roads over the course of a day and a half.

"Crews require flexibility to plow at any time within the 24-hour period."

Blue signs with a white snowflake identify where there is no parking during the temporary ban.

The city saidresidents can sign up for email notifications to find out when the 24-hour ban is in effect.