Abby Derkson/Winonan
Students and residents are still chiseling ice and snow from their cars after the winter storms. As spring nears, many students hope the winter storms are over. One sign that spring is coming is the end of alternate-side parking, a city ordinance that frustrates and confuses many students.
Alternate-side parking is an ordinance designed to make snow removal easier in Winona between November 15 and March 15.
During these months, students must park on the side of the street that corresponds with the calendar date. Students must park on the side of the street with even-numbered houses and odd-numbered houses on even-numbered days and odd-numbered days, respectively.
What may be most frustrating for students is that this ordinance is only in effect at night, from 12:01 until 6:30 a.m.
For student Leah Nystouen, alternate side parking was confusing when she first starting parking on the street.
“It was trial and error,” Nystouen said. “When we never got tickets, we figured out the system. But most mornings I’d look out my blinds to see if I got a ticket.”
While Nystouen said she understands the system, she said alternate-side parking does have its flaws, especially when it comes to snow removal.
After the snowstorm last week, Nystouen followed the rules of alternate side parking. She parked on the correct side, and when the snowplow came to remove the snow on the opposite side, she and others found themselves plowed in.
“The snow chunks were the size of boulders down the driver side of my car,” Nystouen said. She and her roommate spent 45 unsuccessful minutes trying to get their cars unstuck. Eventually they were plowed out by someone who saw they were struggling.
Nystouen’s frustration with alternate side parking is not uncommon. Fellow student Jenny Pierce struggled to find a parking spot because of alternate-side parking. While Pierce has parking at her home, she was asked to park on the street so her driveway could be plowed. She was unable to find parking within four blocks.
Pierce said, “There’s huge mounds of snow blocking where you can park. I understand the concept is good, but they don’t plow the streets. If they do, there’s still ice and it doesn’t work well.”
Nystouen agreed. “Our whole street is iced over still. I don’t know where they’re supposed to put the snow,” she said, “But there has to be a better system.”
For student Brittany Bieber, there are more flaws to alternate-side parking than just snow removal. She is frustrated with their inconsistency in ticketing.
“One time I got a ticket, and I was on the right side of the road,” she said. “I was the only car who got a ticket.”
When Bieber went to argue her case, a worker assured Bieber her car must have been parked on the wrong side.
Bieber ended up paying the ticket because she did not have evidence that she was on the correct side.
To make matters worse, that same week Bieber was the only car parked on the wrong side of the road. She did not receive a ticket.
“If they’re going to give tickets, they need to do it every night,” Bieber said. “I would have felt better about the ticket if I had been on the wrong side of the road.”
“I hate parking here,” she added.
Student Bethany Stavran also hates the inconsistency of ticketing. While Stavran has a parking permit, she decides to park on the street when her parking spot is closer than a lot.
“Most of the time when it snows, they don’t plow,” Stavran said. “I will move my car but I’m still moving it into ice, snow and slush on the other side. Then I get stuck and have to move it over again. I could have just left it.”
Stavran suggested the Winona City Street Department should mirror the system that the Twin Cities have.
“In the cities,” she said, “you can park wherever and when they plow, they will send an alert to let you know to move it to the correct side. I think that’s much more effective.”
Stavran expressed frustration many of her peers feel. “What if you can’t get a spot?” she said. “You could end up parking six blocks away and still have to walk in -20 degree weather. Because of alternate-side parking, you just disperse farther. Instead of on your block, you park four blocks away.”
For students the wait for alternate-side parking to end will soon be over. For some, the end cannot be here soon enough.
