Halifax parking ban: When you can and can’t park on the street overnight

It’s that time of year again: snow tires are on, hats, mitts and scarves are out, and Halifax’s overnight winter parking ban is in effect.

Here’s everything you should know about whether you’ll need to find alternative parking for your car overnight.

When is the parking ban in effect?

The parking ban is in effect from Dec. 15, 2016 to March 31, 2017.

It is only enforced by city officials during “declared weather events.” When it’s enforced, vehicles can’t be parked on city streets from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. to allow for snow clearing.

Is my street affected by the parking ban?

The parking ban covers more than just the city centre — it reaches from the downtown core all the way out to the communities of Westphal, Eastern Passage, Upper Hammonds Plains, Timberlea, Waverley and Beaver Bank.

Here is a map of the entire span of the parking ban:

View image in full screen

Areas not included are North and East Preston, Hubley, Harrietsfield and Otter Lake, among others.

What about sidewalks?

If your vehicle impedes sidewalk clearing, you’re also likely going to wake up to a ticket on your windshield.

Tickets for parking in a way that impedes sidewalk clearing are $25 and can be issued at any time, not just during parking ban enforcement.

That fine jumps to $61.60 after 60 days.

How much will a parking ban ticket be?

Parking tickets issued under the winter overnight parking ban are $50.

READ MORE: Halifax winter parking ban close to double last year’s number

Will my car be towed if I park on the street?

Possibly. According to city spokesperson Tiffany Chase, during the 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. enforcement period, that decision and request is made by the plow operators and supervisors.

They may request a vehicle be towed if they feel it impedes them from safely removing snow in that area. Parking enforcement would then issue the ticket and request a tow from a contractor.

How do I know when the parking ban is being enforced?

Residents can find information on street and snow clearing at www.halifax.ca/snow. The city of Halifax also typically tweets out updates on when the ban is enforced and lifted at @hfxgov.

You can also sign up for notifications. According to the city’s website, though, the notification registration page isn’t available on Google Chrome or Safari web browsers and isn’t accessible on smartphones.

Those who don’t have access to the internet can call 311.