Winter Parking Ban Notifications

 Winter Parking Ban Notifications

     So it is that time of year yet again that we the people will most likely end up with unwanted presents on our windows when we come out of work or the house during the day or night. The winter parking ban in HRM will be enforced between the hours of 1 a.m. & 6 a.m. during any and all declared snow/ice events as of December 15, 2014 up to and including March 31, 2015.

     We can all stay well informed & plan ahead by & or subscribing to HRM's CityWatch notification system or listening to the radio or reading the newspapers or by following @hfxgov on twitter. All you have to do is register at this link HRM Winterized site they will do their best to send out timely updates by phone, email, and/or text message to you about the possible status of the overnight winter parking ban('s) within HRM. You can provide up to 2 phone numbers and up to 2 email addresses, or a combination of both when registering online.

*NOTE: The registration pages are currently not compatible with CHROME web browsers (Also not currently optimized for use with Smartphones.) please use Internet Explorer or FireFox 

     Now it is best that if you even have a doubt about the weather during the night your best bet is to secure off-street parking during the winter months as a precaution (Better safe than sorry).

     If you have questions about the municipal overnight winter parking ban and or have an issue with submitting your information online, you can call 311 or email contact@halifax.ca to get further information and or clarification on this all.

     It is recommended that you do not rely solely on the CityWatch notifications for parking ban information due to delivery issues via the internet and or phone notification's. You can also check out their website and or their Twitter feed at @hfxgov or by calling 311.

     If you had signed up for this service last year this service has not stopped it simply hibernated during the non-winter season and is now back up and running for you already. If any of the information you entered last year has changed it is recommended to go back online again and update the information.

Note: the use and collection of the information that you provide online is listed below.

In accordance with Section 485 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), the personal information collected on this form will only be used by CityWatch for the identified mass notification purpose, for the purpose of clarifying the information submitted, for providing updates or seeking further information on this same subject. If you have any questions about the collection and use of this information, please contact HRM’s Access and Privacy Office at 1-902-490-4390 or accessandprivacy@halifax.ca.

The CityWatch notification system is effective and efficient, but you should not rely on it exclusively for updates. This system supplements, rather than replaces, other communication methods used to broadcast winter parking ban information, including HRM Public Service Announcements, websites and social media channels. CityWatch notifications are dependent upon external providers such as your wireless carrier or email delivery service. Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) cannot guarantee that notifications will be received by the intended recipient. Service costs from your carrier are your responsibility.

     I honestly hope and pray that this helps everyone in avoiding a parking ticket this year, but will be pleased if it only helps a handful of people instead. For every dollar we do not give to the government is a dollar that we get to keep in our pockets for something more important.

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• Snow Information
• FAQ's
• Ice Thickness Reports
• Parking Ban Notifications (PDF 91.23KB)
• Parking Ban Regulations 
• Planning for Snow Events
• Winter Storm Fire Safety
• Generator Safety
• Province of NS
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• Salt Management
• Winter Parking Ban
• HRM Calendar
• Register for Notifications

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Handicap spots and idiot's

    So this has been on my mind for some time and finally I have time in which to put this down for all to read. I work in a customer service business in which me and all other employee's have access to view the entire parking lot at all times of the day and night. As all business's have we have parking spots for customer's and employee's to use. Of which there is about 8 or 9 spots total; 1 of those spots is designated for handicap people with proper documentation in and or on their vehicle to use.

    Now with this when we all go for our driving exam and or test we are all told and taught not to park in the handicap spot('s) ("unless otherwise permitted to do so") out of courtesy and requirement by the law. However it appears that this day and age no one cares about what is right and or wrong any more in regards to this and other matters.

    So why is it that people still park in the handicap spots and feel they have the right to do so?. I see soo many people do this it is ridiculous and when it is pointed out to them they get upset that you noticed and said something to them.

    Case in point. I was working a shift starting from 3pm and ending at 11pm 1 winter night. During that time there was about 10 vehicles parking in that spot. Surprisingly all but 1 took it nicely when I told them they were parked in a handicap spot and 1 even moved their vehicle and came back in and finished their transaction. However 1 person took severe offense to it and even said that there were no markings showing the spot as such. Now granted it had been snowing all day and all night. However I also had been spending my entire shift clearing the parking spots of snow and ice. I indicated to this person that had he been paying attention he would of seen the Handicap spot painting that is under his truck, I even pointed it out to him and said also he will be able to see it when he backs his vehicle up. I am starting to think that maybe just maybe all handicap spots may have to start looking like this.

Pay attention and you shall see this.

This is the evolution of handicap spots if we don't do something quickly.

    So I did some researching on what it would cost if a police officer was to see this and issue a ticket for parking in a handicap spot, the information is below with links to the source of the information as well.

    Now the same thing goes as well for "Fire Lanes". There are numerous people that will also park in a fire lane and feel justified about doing it as well. Are we as a society becoming so ignorant to the rules set forth that we no longer care either?. Information and source link also for this fine is listed below as well.

    Now case in point on June 02, 2013 in reference to the rules and regulations I was making a left hand turn from one road to another that also has a cross walk on it, now when there is someone in the crosswalk they have the right away until they are clear of the road entirely. So naturally I stopped and was awaiting this person to finish crossing the street before I continue on. However the person behind me did not like this and went around me and came within 1 meter of hitting the person crossing the street legally. Luckily I was able to get a shot of the plate and sent it to the police, now if anything came of that I do not know.

This car just went around me when I was stopped for someone in a crosswalk on Victoria rd.

    Here is a great Blog for some additional stats and info on crosswalks and other crosswalk data as well done by John McKiggan.

    I have even got to the point now of having a video camera with me every day just in case in see any infractions like this again so that they can be reported and action taken on the person that is putting other people in jeopardy.

    There was also a recent Article from Global News about an App called “SpotSquad” which would unleash a lot of parking bounty hunters. Currently they say it violates our rights because everyone is entitled to their privacy, however if you are breaking the law what right do you have to privacy, If I can see it why cant anyone else? The police can already issue a ticket if they see you breaking the law, so why can they not act on it if you report it to them and then they confirm it. Your privacy is inside your vehicle not the outside of it in public. To date it is still being debated and I say go for it, bring it out for the people to use, in the end we would have less violators doing the things that should not be done.

    A fire lane is a marked lane in a parking lot that is near a structure. Parking is prohibited in fire lanes to ensure the access of safety equipment to the structure in the event of an emergency. Fire lanes are defined as passageways or access roads that allow fire apparatuses to pass through. They are not intended for normal vehicle traffic. There are certain requirements that must be met when designing a fire lane. Because fire trucks and other apparatuses are so large, there must be certain accommodations made for them. Though these can vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, they are generally similar. Fire Lanes also provide clear space for egress from a burning building and should therefore be wider for larger occupancy buildings.

Source Info: http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/regulations/sots/NSSOTbooklet.pdf

My name is Wilcre and you can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/