ABCs of winter signage in Montreal...
SOS Ticket offers you a little survival guide to understand parking bans related to snow removal operations...
It's shocking to leave your home and realize that your vehicle has been towed during a snow removal operation. Finding out where it was moved and getting a hefty fine is even more shocking!
In Montreal, understanding parking restrictions related to snow removal can be complex, especially when you know that most of the sign posts are decorated with multiple signs.
Here are a few tips that could save you a lot of trouble!
PLAN AHEAD!
Are you aware of the winter surprises that Mother Nature has in store for Quebecers? If so, you probably know that a car parked on a public road can quickly turn into a real igloo, in addition to being barricaded behind a large white wall, courtesy of snow removal operations...
Unfortunately, when this is the case, you have to consider shoveling and a good dose of sweat rather quickly to get your vehicle out of the snow bank in time, without slowing down the road network.
In short... Don't procrastinate!
To allow the blue collar workers to do their job efficiently and have a good chance of finding a new parking spot without driving in circles for hours, don't wait for the sirens of the tow trucks to make your eardrums bleed before moving!
WHEN EXACTLY DO WE MOVE?
As soon as you notice orange bans on the side of the street where your vehicle is parked, usually mounted high on regular traffic posts, consider moving your car as soon as possible. The same goes for yellow signs attached to a wooden stick in a snow bank.
In general in Montreal, the parking ban periods in effect for snow removal are as follows
- DAY: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- EVENING/NIGHT: 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
For daytime loading bans, signs should normally be posted by City employees the day before snow removal, before 8:00 p.m.
For evening operations, they are supposed to be in place by 3:00 p.m. the same day, which sometimes leaves little time to react and means that you may not be there when you need to be.
Ultimately, if you are in the habit of leaving your vehicle parked on the public road near your home, going to work by other means and coming back late, consider leaving a copy of your car keys with a sympathetic neighbor who might be present in your absence.
Please be aware that if the operations could not be completed during the targeted period, which is possible due to heavy snowfall or ice, the ban will be reinstated the following day during the hours indicated on the signs. Parking is therefore permitted in the interim, unless another sign prevents it.
If you are not sure whether the time the signs were posted means you have to move your vehicle the same day or the next day, you can download the INFO-Snow mobile application. Not only does the application allow you to find out when and on which side of the street snow removal is taking place, but also the progress of operations and future or completed loads on the streets in your neighbourhood. What's more, you will be able to find out which public parking spaces are made available to citizens free of charge during major operations.
ATTENTION!
Be aware that some boroughs are subject to specific parking regulations. It is therefore a good idea, as soon as winter arrives, to take a moment to consult your borough's website to find out what regulations are in effect in your area.
In addition, although some parking bans are not applicable from December 2 to March 31, other signs remain in effect throughout the year. This includes signs that delineate parking zones reserved for sticker holders, or in certain school or commercial delivery zones.
Remember that snow removal prohibition signs take precedence over other fixed parking regulation signs, unless the regulation of the latter is more restrictive.
In other words, if there is a snow loading or de-icing ban between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and another sign on the same street prohibits parking in front of a school between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., the school sign regulation still applies, notwithstanding the snow removal signs that are for another time of day.