CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Starting Charlottetown’s overnight parking ban two hours earlier is a decision the city’s mayor feels council will regret.
Clifford Lee found himself at odds with council’s decision to amend the city’s traffic bylaw in order to extend the winter parking ban. The move would see the ban go from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. from the previous 1-6 a.m. ban.
Council voted unanimously 9-0 during Monday’s meeting on the amendment’s first and second reading. A third and final reading could take place as early as next month.
Following the meeting, Lee said he felt the change in hours goes too far.
“I think 11 o’clock at night, to have your car off the street is a bit much,” said Lee, who as mayor did not vote on the amedment. “I think this decision by council tonight is probably going to be one of those decisions that they’re going to regret making.”
Terry Bernard, who chairs the city’s public works committee, said the reason for the change is to give crews more time to clear snow.
A section of the city’s police act allowed council to enact an 11 p.m. ban late last winter following several snowstorms.
“We did (an 11 p.m. ban) on a trial basis last year… it worked out very well,” said Bernard. “Once you get the snow out of the way and streets opened up, people are pretty happy. The quicker we can do it, the better.”
Bernard said the ban is only enforced during snowstorms and nights that crews will be clearing snow or de-icing.
He also referenced the city’s online snow alert to let residents know if restrictions are being enforced.
While Lee said he appreciates the parking ban is intended to only apply during certain times, he felt practise has shown otherwise.
During the meeting, Lee told council he receives phone calls every year from residents who are ticketed during nights when the ban should not be enforced.
“Last winter, people got their cars towed and ticketed on nights it didn’t even snow. They weren’t de-icing the streets, there was no reason and the explanation was ‘well the bylaw says we can do this’,” said Lee. “The bylaw now says we can do this at 11 o’clock at night and I think it’s going to be a major headache for the citizens of Charlottetown.”
Bernard said the areas with bars and businesses open late are usually the last streets that get cleared.
While it’s not written in the bylaw, Bernard said the city would not ticket and tow vehicles on those streets until after closing time.
“We start in the residential areas… it’s usually quite a bit later before we’re at the bars,” said Bernard. “If we’re at the bar areas earlier… we’ll go in and ask them to move their vehicles.”
Lee said he was not just concerned about the areas with bars and businesses.
Using December as an example, Lee said there are many nights when people are parked late in the other streets for Christmas parties.
The ban runs from Nov. 15 to April 15.
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