As Regina prepares to plow, parked cars remain a problem

Should parking be restricted on major streets before the snowplows come out?

The city of Regina is studying that issue, because it wants cars off the arteries and collector streets when there's a big snowfall.

Requiring snow plows to weave around parked cars is inefficient and even dangerous, a staff report says.

Some cities, including Calgary and London, Ont., ban overnight parking on the main streets and ticket cars that are still there in the morning.

Regina does not ticket and so far officials have not recommended a get-tough approach — a crackdown could cost $500,000, according to the report.

Instead, administrators last month said they favour a status quo policy with some more public education to tell people not to park on so-called "snow routes."

However, members of city council have rejected that option.

They have told officials to go back to the drawing board and come up with a new proposal to develop "the most appropriate program to remove cars from roads for effective snow removal."

On Thursday the city's public works committee decided to have city officials study snow removal for one year. Councillor Bob Hawkins is in favour of punishing people who don't move their vehicles.

"I personally think we'll need something more than just an education program. I think that people should be given fair notice of when the streets going to be plowed and if they don't remove their car they should be towed or ticketed. So that the street can be cleaned properly," Hawkins said.

New recommendations are expected in the second quarter of 2015.

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