If you want your street plowed this winter, you better make sure your vehicle isn’t parked on the road.
That’s the message council is trying to get out to the public as winter approaches.
During its last public meeting, council gave three reading to proposed amendments to the district’s Traffic Regulation Bylaw, several of which address concerns regarding snow removal.
According to a staff report, Mission experienced record-breaking snowfalls in the winter of 2016/2017 and, as a result, council and staff received countless complaints regarding the accumulation of snow on sidewalks, and requests for clearing of residential streets.
The report goes on to say that parked cars and narrow streets provided many challenges for staff clearing the roads, and resulted in several incidents of vehicle damage.
“We have a lot of streets here where the streets are plugged with cars and plows couldn’t get down the streets,” said Mayor Randy Hawes.
He said people need to understand that “if you don’t move your car, your car’s either going to get covered or your street’s not getting plowed. Period.”
The proposed amendments also include a clause that would permit the district to tow vehicles because they are parked on the road during a snow event.
While that clause would become part of the bylaw, Hawes said it is unlikely the district would tow many vehicles.
“If it’s one car, I can see it. If there is a bunch of cars, we aren’t towing them all away.”
Rather, side roads containing parked cars would merely be left unplowed.