Overshadowed by other issues, but new snow parking rules now in place for La Crosse

It didn’t gather nearly as much attention over the last few days as approval and subsequent veto of La Crosse Center expansion plans, but the city council has put into place new rules for snow emergency parking on the streets.

It’s a good thing, too, said city council member Gary Padesky, because heavy April snows this year showed the old rules didn’t make any sense to those parking on the street

“Now they know if there is 3 inches or more, if it’s after March 15, that regular, alternate-side parking applies,” Padesky said of the new rules.

Along with clarification of snow emergency parking rules, the city council also significantly limited how much alternate-side parking tickets would cost if you collected several over time.

Now, it’s pretty clear what to do with your car during alternate side parking season and when it snows outside of that season

“The other way was just so confusing that nobody really understood it,” Padesky said.

The need for clarification of snow parking rules became obvious after this year’s April snows highlighted how unenforceable the city’s old snow emergency rules were — with 24-hour alternate-side parking enforcement and 3-hour grace periods, among other things.