City of Evanston to open garages for free for winter storm parking

Due to expected snowfall over Christmas weekend, the City of Evanston is opening its parking garages for free to residents from Thursday, Dec. 22 through Monday, Dec. 26.

Garages will open at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday and vehicles can remain parked until Monday, Dec. 26. Vehicles cannot be left in the garage beyond that without payment. Surface lot parking is also available on over a dozen lots in the city and can be purchased on the city’s website.

Street parking during winter can be a precarious with street clearing taking place twice a month on varying weekdays. According to the city’s website, residents are prohibited from parking along snow routes from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. once snow has accumulated over two inches. Fines include a $60 ticket along with the cost of towing and storage.

Side street parking during a snow emergency, snowfall of four inches or more, varies by even and odd numbered days. Parking is banned from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on even numbered addressed side of the street on even numbered days and on the odd numbered addressed side of the street on odd numbered days. Tickets for violations cost $60 and towing costs $155.

The National Weather Service is expecting “near blizzard” like conditions from Thursday through Saturday. Some meteorologists have compared the coming storm to “Snowmageddon,” a storm that hit on Groundhog Day 2011 and left vehicle stranded on major highways as snow fell for 40 hours straight.

Beyond parking, homeowners, landlords and businesses are responsible for clearing sidewalks. Paths should be at least 36 inches wide to allow passage.

Residents can also sign up for text and email snow alerts through the city’s website.