Parking banned on snow routes

SANDPOINT - In its ongoing battle to ensure safe driving lanes for emergency vehicles, the city has enacted a parking ban on all emergency snow routes.

The snow routes consist of all of Boyer Avenue, Division Avenue, Ontario Street, Larch Street, Baldy Road, Schweitzer Cutoff Road, Pine Street from Fifth to the city limit and Cedar Street from Fifth to Division.

Any vehicles parked on an emergency snow route - night or day - will be towed, said Public Works Director Kody Van Dyk.

The move comes after Van Dyk, Mayor Gretchen Hellar and Police Chief Mark Lockwood met to discuss ways of making the ever-narrower snow routes more manageable for larger vehicles.

"Emergency vehicles and school buses are having difficulty getting through on the arterial streets," Van Dyk said. "I expect the ban will last through the rest of winter, but if things drastically change we'll lift it."

The parking prohibition is a first for the city, but Van Dyk said taking a proactive approach to snow issues will lessen problems later in the season.

After repairing its snow-blowing vehicle, the city hopes a forecasted dry spell this week will allow plow crews time to begin removing large snow berms at busy intersections. 

"Up until now we've just been pushing snow and pushing snow," Van Dyk said. "Now we'll be able to get to the problem areas we've been hearing about. We'll have time to do that."

Van Dyk said removing the berms will increase motorist visibility at busy intersections.

"I think it will definitely help the berms on the arterial streets and the congestion around the high school in the morning, because that's been bad, too," Van Dyk said.

The new parking ban does not impact the city's other snow related parking restrictions, which require motorists to park on the even side of the street on even days and the odd side of the street on odd days.