Stratford drivers who leave their cars parked on city streets overnight could incur fines as high as $80 – $60 if they’re paid within seven days – as the city implements its strategy to keep parked cars out of the way of snow plows.
Approved by the previous council in August, the city has updated its traffic and parking bylaw to prohibit parking in a way that obstructs municipal snow-clearing operations.
“Cars parked on roads, regardless of the time, can interfere with snow removal in two significant ways,” Stratford deputy clerk Chris Bantock told the Beacon Herald Friday. “First, if the street is too narrow, a snow plow will not be able to make it down the street to clear snow at all if vehicles are left along the sides of the street.
“Second, if the street is wide enough, a snow plow may be able to clear around parked cars, but it creates a windrow – a snow pile left over from plowing around vehicles. In both cases … it leaves the street not having been fully cleared of snow and requires a snow plow to return when a single drive-by may have been sufficient.”
Previously, Stratford did not have a set fine for interfering with snow removal or winter maintenance operations. The fine for overnight parking on any roadway, shoulder or city parking lot between 2 and 6 am unless otherwise designated, however, was $15 if paid within seven days or $20 thereafter.
According to a survey of municipal parking fines conducted by the Ontario Transit Commission Parking Committee in 2019, Stratford was reported as having the lowest set fine for overnight parking of the 28 municipalities surveyed. The average overnight parking fine among those municipalities was $35, and the average fine for interfering with snow removal was almost $60.
In addition to setting a fine for vehicles parked in a way that obstructs snow removal, the city has also increased its overnight parking fine to $80, or $60 if paid within seven days.
While overnight parking is enforced with the help of Stratford police, Bantock expects the city’s parking enforcement officers will be responsible for issuing fines related to the obstruction of snow removal on city streets.
Stratford residents with concerns about vehicles left on city streets, particularly during winter storms, can email the city’s parking office at [email protected] at any time or call 519-271-0250 ext. 5237 during regular office hours to lodge a complaint.