Calendar parking begins, with some tweaks, adjustments

by Tom Coombe
Ely’s calendar parking rules have begun, but residents will have some time to adjust.
For now, Ely police are only issuing warning tickets for those who violate the rule and park on the wrong side of the street or avenue.
But that soon will change, police chief Chad Houde warned on Tuesday.
“Calendar parking is now in effect,” said Houde. “We plan on giving warnings in the early weeks here, but please get in the habit now of parking on the right side of the road. It’s probably going to snow a little next week.”
Houde also explained that some areas where street improvements have been made are being added to the calendar parking area, pointing to recent paving projects on both Ninth and 10th Avenue East.
“Those areas are now curbed, and if you live in that area, calendar parking will be enforced on those blocks where there is curb,” said Houde. “That’s something to get used to.”
Meanwhile, the area on Harvey Street adjacent to the school campus is exempt - with the south side of the street designated as a no parking area during school hours.
“We won’t be enforcing (on Harvey) from Fourth to Seventh,” said Houde. “We are asking all vehicles to stay on the north side. In the event we do snow removal there we’ll post it.”
Clerk-treasurer and operations director Harold Langowski said the city has similar rules “in a couple of other areas in town with the same situation - by the park and also on Camp Street where there’s no parking on one side of the street.”
“The only place you run into a problem is with vehicles that just sit there and don’t move at all,” said Langowski.
In place during the winter season to aid in snow removal and plowing, the calendar parking law forces motorists to park their vehicles on opposite sides of the street on alternating nights.
On mornings of an “odd” date (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.), vehicles should be parked on the side of the street with odd-numbered addresses. Those that park on the avenue should be on the west side, with odd-numbered avenues.
Vehicles should switch to the side with even-numbered addresses on even dates, either the south side of streets or east side of avenues.
By city statute, calendar parking actually begins at 6 p.m., but police generally don’t begin enforcing the law until midnight.
Those who violate the law are subject to a $20 civil fine.