This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
After last year's upside-down winter — lots of snow in the valley, not so much in the mountains — Salt Lake City is asking residents for input on proposed snow season parking restrictions in order to better clear streets.
The city is considering restricting on-street parking during snowstorms. Residents can weigh in on the proposals at "Open City Hall" on the city's website — slcgov.com.
"Emotions run high on parking issues and so we are seeking community sentiment," said City Hall spokesman Art Raymond. "The ideas on Open City Hall are the best programs out there. But it isn't necessarily the case that we will implement them. It depends on our public outreach."
One proposal would completely restrict curbside parking when snow is falling or when snow is covering the streets: "No person shall park a vehicle on any city street when it is snowing or snow is on the street between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. from Nov. 1 to March 30."
However, the proposal also recognizes that some areas of the city have limited off-street parking. City officials would consider creating special districts in those neighborhoods and have proposed two options.
Option A: "Whenever the parking restriction is in effect, parking in a special district would be allowed only on the north and east sides of the street ... Snow melts more quickly in these areas due to sun exposure."
Option B: "Whenever the parking restriction is in effect, parking in a special district would be allowed on the even or odd side of the street corresponding to the day of the week [and numerical addresses]."
Many municipalities already have such snow season parking restrictions, Raymond said.
And, according to the city's website, they would benefit everyone. "[It would] improve the flow of traffic, improve access getting in/out of streets, improve safety, increase parking availability, [and] reduce snow bound vehicles ... "