City approves return of tow trucks during parking bans

The city says the fine for failing to move your car during a parking ban will be less this winter, but more cars will be ticketed and towed.

Tow trucks are returning to the city’s street clearing strategy.

City council voted on Wednesday to use $100,000 from the city’s contingency fund to pay for tow truck enforcement the next time plows and street sweepers are out.

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For the past two years, there was no money in the budget for tow trucks to accompany street cleaners. This spring, more than 700 parking tickets were issued in the first four days of street sweeping.

“Having vehicles parked when our plows are there, when other sweepers are out there, they do create inefficiencies,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “And the street doesn’t look clean either.”

While the number of cars ticketed and towed is expected to increase, city council lowered the fine for parking during a ban from $250 to $150 – or $100 if the ticket is paid within a week.

“The fine will be less, which I think is probably good for people in these times,” said Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette. “But there will still be consequences.”

Paquette said the changes were made in response to feedback from residents, though he doesn’t believe additional enforcement is all that’s needed.

“I’m hearing from both sides – be more tough or don’t penalize me for something I didn’t know about – and so that’s incumbent on the city to have better signage,” Paquette said.

“At the end of the day, people understand that they have to move their cars,” he added. “But, personally, I think that the window for when they have to move their car for city work is far too broad and we should tighten that up … so people have more certainty.”

Edmonton has more than 12,000 kilometres of roadway and has issued upwards of 2,200 parking tickets in three of the four winters there has been a seasonal parking ban system.

Edmontonians can sign up for parking ban notices on the City of Edmonton’s website.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Connor Hogg, Jeremy Thompson and Craig Ellingson