The state of Vermont is in charge of transportation restrictions, with one big exception. The state has empowered local municipalities to regulate parking within their areas of jurisdiction, provided the restrictions are posted.
Brattleboro does not have overnight street parking anywhere in the city, and the streets are littered with signs declaring the restriction.
West Rutland has limited winter parking restrictions on specific streets from Dec. 1 through March 31, but only on those streets that have signs indicating the restriction.
Stowe has a citywide parking ban from Nov. 15 through April 15 and motorists can’t get through the town without seeing multiple signs alerting them to the parking restriction.
The city of Rutland has a winter parking ban that runs from Dec. 1 through March 31 and applies to all city streets. As for the requisite signs, the city is still looking for them.
The interesting thing about winter parking bans is the arbitrary nature of the dates.
Last year, the City of Rutland had eight snow plow days out of 121 restricted days—7%! Ironically, the most significant snow event of the year occurred after the parking restriction was lifted.
Is a global winter parking ban the most effective way to manage the community’s parking needs and the city’s ability to effectively plow when it snows?
Has your community discussed parking bans and their impact on the community, good or bad?
Typically, communities approach the winter season with a meeting of the public safety departments to ensure that all systems are “go” and that all departments are synchronized as the winter weather approaches.
This would be an excellent time for Public Works to verify that all appropriate signage is in place and that the city is qualified to enforce parking restrictions.
Now would also be a great time to discuss the larger issue of efficacy. Is the winter parking ban the best strategy for keeping our streets safe and clear of snow and ice? What is the best time to plow? Is it really overnight, between midnight and 6 a.m.? Is there a more effective way to coordinate the community’s parking and plowing needs?
Some cities conduct an annual review of the snow and ice control plan, attended by the mayor, the Public Works commissioner, and the chief of police. This meeting is a great time to ask tough questions such as “Is this the best plan?” and “Have all of the requisite signs been posted?”
Complicating the simple parking ban conversation is the fact that it is not so simple.
The city of Rutland’s former planning and zoning administrator wrote to the mayor, the board of alderman chair, the building and zoning administrator, and the chair of the charter and ordinance committee:
“There has been discussion about the city’s on-street parking ban during the winter months. From a planning perspective, this winter ban serves as one obstacle in a sea of many in alleviating the issues surrounding parking and housing in the city. As discussed, a lot of parcels in the city’s denser areas have large housing footprints on small lots with very few places to put off-street parking. These buildings are some of the best stock in the city to convert into additional housing units due to the large amount of building space. The proposed zoning is likely to reduce the barrier that currently exists in creating more housing units in the entire city; however, should parking arrangements continue to be an obstacle, that creation of additional housing units will likely be stunted at best in the denser areas of the city. The elimination of the winter parking ban is a very important issue to be discussed, and is far more reaching than just the planning and zoning department; however, exploring this matter is vitally important as the city seeks ways to solve the housing and greenbelt-parking issues.”
In the immediate, I contend that municipal authorities must play by the rules. When it comes to winter parking bans, if the restrictions aren’t posted, stop writing tickets, collecting fines, and enforcing the unenforceable.
In the larger picture, if we are committed to increasing the amount of safe and healthy housing in our communities, we have to look for all of the obstacles and then get busy looking for ways to overcome or remove them.
If Vermont’s leadership believes that increasing the amount of safe and healthy housing is a priority, and if local leadership echoes this sentiment, why are parking bans taken for granted and not examined for their full community impact?
If you’re looking to go deeper on this topic, check out my conversation with Scott Graves on the “Are We Here Yet?” podcast on Apple Podcasts or at smgravesassociates.com/podcast/arewehereyet.
Stephen Box is a “Houser” in Rutland County, developing, renovating, and managing residential properties. He can be reached at VermontHouser@gmail.com.
