# Chicago 2" Snow parking ban - NeedAnswerFast

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-2-snow-parking-ban-needanswerfast/711660>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 3, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-2-snow-parking-ban-needanswerfast/711660 "2015-02-03T01:39:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-2-snow-parking-ban-needanswerfast/711660/1 "2015-02-03T01:39:53Z")

</div>

Is the 2" or more snow parking ban in effect?

Here’s the city’s page:  
[http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/streets/provdrs/street/svcs/snow\_clearing\_winterof2012-2012.html](http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/streets/provdrs/street/svcs/snow_clearing_winterof2012-2012.html)  
Interesting but it doesn’t say whether the ban is on or if it was and has been lifted or what.  
I’m not asking about the overnight parking ban which is calendar based.

The [Chicago parking blog The Expired Meter](http://theexpiredmeter.com/2008/12/the-lowdown-on-snow-routes/) (god bless them) says this:

> [@](#):
>
> “We do not enact the 2″ ban unless (Streets & Sanitiation) Commissioner Picardi determines that we need to do so because the vehicles present are a hindrance to our snow clearing operations,” explained Smith. “Two inches is a measurement on the low end and nothing more than a starting point. We would generally be in the midst of a major storm with several inches on the ground or  
> coming our way and we would announce that we are enacting the ban through the media.”  
> …  
> So, just because there is 2″ of snow on the ground, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to move your car off a designated snow route street. However, every time there is a decent sized snowstorm, you should be vigilant monitoring the news and checking in here at The Expired Meter.

Nice policy for the city. There’s a parking ban on 500 miles of roadway when we say but we don’t tell you when it kicks in and when it kicks off. If you don’t get the message, it’s the media’s fault. Or yours.

While the weather yesterday was certainly worthy of such a ban, the particular street with the 2" signs is totally clear. My own side street is still awful and I want to park on the major to let the plows do another couple passes. It took a half hour to pull out of my spot this morning ad that was after I shoveled it out pretty well last night. Some asshat was in my spot when I got home this evening but, honestly, I got stuck just driving past my house. A passerby helped push me free.

I tried 311 but the recorded message suggested that the wait times were excessive. I stuck it out for a few minutes but they are probably jammed.