Back from quite a hiatus: winter does not even begin until early tomorrow morning, but there have already been two declared parking bans this year as a result of three significant- to major-snow events. Last year the first declared parking ban was not until January 30, and that one may not have even been necessary.

Anyway, it looks like this winter season is on track to be much more eventful than last!

During times when snow is on the streets of Worcester, it is not uncommon for objects to be placed on the street for the purpose of saving a parking space for the person who shoveled it and considers it as their personal parking space. Some cities have started to enforce the placing of objects (which can range from chairs to boxes to plants and beyond).

On Friday afternoon, I saw one such object placed on Gold Star Boulevard in Worcester. It was a sign with the words “Don’t even” written on it. This sign was so much more informative than a chair; I now know that I am not supposed to do something. But sitting in those chairs on the street is so much fun. I wish it had said “Don’t even… or else!”

Two photos of the placeholder (click for larger view):

Although spring begins today at 8:07 p.m., the parking ban season lasts six more weeks: until April 30.  That means that streets with permanent ban status still have no parking from 2 – 6 a.m. through the end of April.  Yes, even if there is no snow in sight, the permanent parking ban continues.  I think the city should change that date to Tax Day or Patriots Day.  They could still declare a parking ban if necessary after the end of the permanent ban.

Speaking of declared bans, the most recent one lasted 72.5 hours: 12 noon Friday – 12:30 p.m. Monday.  I hope you made it through the storm without incident.

Another progression of events; Monday, February 26, 2007:

• 7:30 a.m.: declared parking ban goes into effect
• 7:39 a.m.: ParkingBan first learns of the declared parking ban
• 7:55 a.m.: ParkingBan’s e-mail notification of parking ban declaration sent/received
• 9:32 a.m.: WPI Police e-mail notification of parking ban declaration received by WPI staff and faculty
• 3:21 p.m.: WPI Police e-mail notification of parking ban declaration received by WPI undergraduate students

I did expect that the parking ban would be declared this week, and it was. I didn’t expect, however, that ParkingBan would get a mention in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. I had had some conversations recently about more involvement with the city. From the February 27, 2006 T&G:

In addition to parking and other issues, councilors will consider a measure to invite the creator of a new parking Web site, www.parkingban.org, to a meeting of the council’s Committee on Traffic and Parking to talk about the site’s services.

…the [ParkingBan] Web site is supposed to instantly alert registered users by e-mail and text message when snow bans — which require drivers during snowstorms to park only on a certain side of the street or not at all on some streets — are in force.

I was excited to see this article, and I am excited about opportunities to further partner with the city. I posted the following response in the comments section of the online version of the article:

I am the person behind ParkingBan and the one identified only as “Adam” on that blog. To clarify: the purpose of the Web site and AOL Instant Messenger buddy is to alert and inform users of the parking ban. It is not necessarily a venue for complaints, but they will not be filtered if posted. I did post a progression of events from Friday, and I do understand the urge for residents to use common sense when parking. I simply question the judgment of declaring the ban after the snow had stopped. I am in full partnership with the city and hope to strengthen that relationship.

The article is available on the Telegram & Gazette Web site.

I am not sure why there was a parking ban declared this morning at 5 a.m.  By then the snow had already stopped, and there was no snow cover on emergency arteries.

A sequence of events, February 23:

• 5 a.m.: declared parking ban goes into effect
• 6 a.m.: nightly permanent parking ban ends
• 6:07 a.m.: ParkingBan first learns of the declared parking ban
• 6:24 a.m.: winter parking ban ticket received
• 7:32 a.m.: Worcester winter parking ban Web site updated with ban declaration information

If I did not even know about the parking ban until over an hour after it was in effect, how can the city expect that people who do not make the parking ban their hobby to know about it?  Granted ParkingBan’s notifications could have went out slightly sooner… but if cars were being ticketed within minutes of first announcement of a declared ban, it makes me wonder if cars in other parts of the city were being ticketed even before that first announcement.

The Worcester parking ban was lifted this afternoon following the Valentine’s Day storm that left eight to ten inches of snow and ice. A few items of note:

• A parking ticket fiasco in New York City follows this storm: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/16/nyregion/16cnd-parking.html
• Some independent praise for ParkingBan: http://radioball.net/index.php/2007/01/30/parkingban
• More coverage in Worcester Magazine blog log: http://www.worcestermagazine.com/content/view/1124

The largest winter storm of the season is working its way toward New England this afternoon, and as a result the DPW&P has declared a parking ban which will go into effect tonight at 11:45 p.m.  Reports are calling for anywhere between 6 and 16 inches.  As with any storm, it is often difficult to predict.  Regardless, this storm will be the biggest of the season thus far.

The National Weather Service maintains a map of the United States displaying current weather watches and warnings.  Individual counties across the country are highlighted in various colors during various weather events.  During a major weather event, these highlighted counties can stretch multiple states.  The result is what I like to call “the weather rainbow.”  Check it out at http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/wwa/wwa.gif.

What happened on January 29?  That was the only day thus far this winter that ParkingBan did not receive a message.  I hope there are not many more days like that.