Local News
As 48-hour snow disposal period ends, city still looking for answers
La Crosse’s third special 48-hour snow disposal period in April is set to end this morning.
La Crosse police said on Facebook, “The Superintendent of Streets has decided to end the snow disposal period tomorrow at 8 a.m. Now we wish he could simply declare the end of winter!:
That time would mean the 48-hour period, in which alternate-side parking has been enforced for the entire duration, would end one hour early. It was issued at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
The city has used these three snowfalls — which actually made April 2018 the snowiest in La Crosse history — to test out these 48-hour snow disposal periods and how the community would abide by the alternate-side parking enforcement.
The police warned cars could be ticketed or towed but no such thing happened.
“We have not issued a single parking ticket during any of these declarations,” La Crosse asst. police chief Rob Abraham said Thursday morning on WIZM.
He added that’s a result of general confusion over the rules imposed outside of the November-to-March alternate-side period. And, that a year-round alternate-side law probably wouldn’t work in La Crosse, either.
“Every community that I have talked to that has switched to that really has said that it hasn’t worked out great for them,” Abraham said. “Eau Claire being one of the most recent ones.
“They said they wished they were back to the way they used to do it because compliance (is) poor.”
While Abraham would like to see changes to the existing ordinance, city council member Andrea Richmond said she wants it gone.
“Get rid of that 48-hour declaration, which is absolutely ridiculous,” she said, based on the all-day alternate-side parking enforcement. “We need to keep it simple.”
