The arrival of the season’s first storm ushers in winter-specific parking regulations, precautions and road conditions that require extra attention from downtown residents.
MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain said a few minor traffic accidents and slide-offs were reported around the city. All of the incidents were minor, and no injuries occurred.
Chris Kelley, street operations manager for Madison, said the roads were looking great, as road temperatures were still warm enough to melt the ice and snow from Wednesday’s storm.
“If we do have a problem, crews are ready on standby with salt,” he added.
As Madison prepares for this coming winter, Kelley said, snow removal policies are generally the same as previous years. Snow will only be hauled where needed, such as bus stops and to clear paths for safety vehicles, with the exception of snow emergencies.
A snow emergency, as defined by the city of Madison’s winter parking website, is declared when snow accumulation reaches three inches or more, and the downtown snow emergency zone must be plowed. This zone consists of the downtown isthmus area of Madison.
When a snow emergency is declared, downtown residents must abide by alternate side parking rules for at least two nights. According to a statement from the Madison Streets Department, alternate side parking will go into effect on Nov. 15 and last until March 15, regardless of weather conditions.
Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, who said he gets many questions regarding winter parking, said the city’s website is a consistent source for information on parking and snow emergencies in the downtown area.
“It’s always better to check the parking situation before assuming,” he said.
Resnick also suggested residents sign up for city email and text alerts so they will be notified when snow emergencies are declared and receive other useful information. Anyone can sign up on the city’s website.
For winter driving, Kelley advises residents to slow down and give themselves enough room to stop and start. As for students, uptown areas are cleaned as soon as possible, but students should leave a little extra time to get to class.
Kelley said more information on parking can be found on the Streets Department’s website.
