Have a street parking permit? You may have to move your vehicle for snow removal, or get towed

The City of Toronto is giving residents with street parking permits a heads-up that they may have to move their vehicles to accommodate snow removal, or face possible fines or potential towing.

In an update on Wednesday, City Manager Paul Johnson told residents to be on the watch for the City’s orange snow removal signs indicating impending snow removal on side streets — work that can only happen if vehicles temporarily move.

“We are heading into local roads today,” Johnson said. “We are prioritizing very narrow local roads, [like] areas down in the Beaches area, the Davenport area, where there are really, really narrow roads; we are prioritizing some of those. But it is spread across geographies.

“We don’t have to do it on every road,” he added.

Once the orange signs are posted, the snow removal will take place within the next 24 hours. Johnson hopes that’s ample time for residents to dig out their cars if they’re still buried, and prepare to move them.

“When you see those orange signs, it means we are getting ready, clear off that car, get ready to move that car because the faster we get down your street, the faster we can move on to the next street,” Johnson said.

If you don’t move your vehicle, you could face a $100 fine, and your vehicle could even be towed and impounded, although the City said it will aim for “friendly” tows, where a vehicle is moved to a nearby street or a Toronto Parking Authority lot.

Parking permit holders can move their vehicles anywhere within their permit area if snow removal is taking place on their street.

There are currently over 50,000 active parking permits in Toronto.

‘I don’t know where to go’: Annex resident

During heavy snowfalls, parking spots on narrow streets are coveted. If you lose your spot, finding another one isn’t easy.

Sarah, who lives in the Annex, learned that the last time Toronto was blanketed in snow.

She told CityNews the last time there was a major snowfall, she circled her neighbourhood for hours looking for a free spot.

With that in mind, she’s been holding onto her current spot since Sunday’s big storm, but now worries the City’s orange sign could see her ousted and on the hunt again.

“Honestly, I don’t have a plan yet,” she said when asked what she’ll do if she has to move. “But that’s been weighing on my mind since the storm started because I don’t know where to go.”

“I may have to go to my parents’ house two hours from here.”

No ‘backing off’ enforcement on snow routes: City Manager

Meanwhile, hundreds of designated snow routes are already being enforced with fines of up to $500 for offenders. They are primarily located in the downtown core and include all transit routes. 

Johnson said there’s no leeway for offenders.

“There is no backing off the enforcement, we have priority to enforce,” he said. “We are making sure, for instance … that TTC streetcars are running unabated and things like that. But those snow routes, they remain in effect. The bylaw remains in effect.”

The last time a major snow event declaration was underway, nearly 11,000 parking tickets were issued.