Winnipeggers warned to 'Know Your Zone'

Colder temperatures and snow are moving in, so the City of Winnipeg is reminding people to"know your zone" for winter parking bans.

For the purpose of snow clearing, the street system has been classified in three categories (PI, P2, P3).

• P1 All regional streets and some streets around the Health Sciences Centre to facilitate ambulance access to the hospital
• P2 Non-regional bus routes and collector streets based on traffic counts and higher traffic streets in industrial areas
• P3 Residential and/or low traffic industrial streets

All P3 residential streets have been assigned to a snow zone,identified by a letter of the alphabet.People who live on a P3 are reminded to know their zone to avoid having their vehicle towed when the street is being plowed.

The Know Your Zone system is aimed at improving snow clearing on residential streets, and by knowing their zone letter and when their zone is scheduled for snow clearing, residents can easily observe the 12-hour parking ban for their zone, saidJim Berezowsky, manager of the streets maintenance division.

The city said it expectsresidential plowing operations to be completed in five shifts.

• Parking ban frustrations

Vehicles parked in violation of the residential parking ban will receive a $150 ticket ($75 if paid early), and could be towed to a nearby street not scheduled to be plowed or has already been cleared.

Know Your Zone was introduced in 2011and there was a lot of confusion and criticism from the public. The city said snow plow and truck drivers have received more training on how the new system is supposed to work. It's also hopedthis year residents alsobetter understand the plan and know when their vehicles need to be off the road.

But Winnipeg realtor Sheila Brown said knowing your zone is pointless when you need to go anywhere else in the city, as she often she does as she travels to homes throughout the city.

Sometimes I just go on the spur of the moment, so Im not thinking of what zones there are! she said.

But city officials say Winnipeggers are just going to have to become good planners and start calling 311 or checking online for what zone theyll be parking in.

First and foremost, every citizen is responsible to know their zone, said Jim Berezowsky, the citys manager of street maintenance.

Last year, some Winnipeggers learned the hard way that knowing their zone wasnt enough. Several streets were plowed on the wrong day, leaving residents to find their cars after they had been towed to nearby streets.

According to officials, operators have been coached to respect the zones and only operate in the designated times.

Those times are cutting into city businesses bottom lines, though.

Stuart Deacon owns Saucers Caf on Academy Road.

If a whole area is being done at one time, theres nowhere in the area to find parking! he said. Youre driving around for 10 to 15 minutes.

He added the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. shifts land right in the middle of the dinner rush.

City officials are sticking with the plan though, despite the fact its catching on at a glacial pace.