Feb 2011 Blizzard Parking Info

[berwynguy]

TONS of activity over here. 

They know where the votes are.

I don't know about that.....this is, or I should say was IVB country. 

[Ted]

They are the tributaries to the main streets.

  But, the north/south streets are tributaries to Cermak, Roosevelt, 26th street, Odgen, 16th street and 39th street, so the same argument would apply.

No, those are residential.

  but, 33rd street is residential and they plowed it 3 times today.


That's the other thing I wondered.  33rd street is a one-way street eastbound but the plows went the wrong way down a one way street (they went west bound)

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

TONS of activity over here. 

They know where the votes are.

I don't know about that.....this is, or I should say was IVB country. 

It's the only ward in town that has an independent alderperson.  If the city has done well in regard to snow removal in their ward they should certainly thank Marge Paul, their alderman. 

[~LL~]

New bulletin with request to NOT shovel or blow snow into the streets...plus other info of interest.  Received this notification at 6:17 P.M.
Community Message has been issued by the Berwyn Police Department.

Thursday February 3, 2011 6:17 PM CST

Announcement – Snow Emergency

February 3rd, 2011 at 4:30 PM
Announcement – Snow Emergency

The City of Berwyn declared a Snow Emergency on February 2, 2011.
Please follow the posted signs for your Snow Emergency parking restrictions.

1. The City of Berwyn has cleared snow from the following locations for
residents to relocate their vehicles.
A. Vacin Fairway (North side of Cermak Road – behind businesses)
B. Cermak & Harlem Ave. lot ( Northeast corner behind ABC Automotive)
C. City of Berwyn Parking Garage (3200 Block of Grove Ave.)
D. Andersen Ford Lot located on the North East Corner of Ogden Ave. & East Ave.
Citizens may park on either the east or west side of Anderson Ford Lot on the
north side of Ogden Avenue.
E. VFW lot located at 1529 Harlem Avenue. Parking is only available until 9 am
on Saturday, February 5th.
F. Sokol Tabor located at 1602 Clarence Ave.

2. Local school parking lots are available UNTIL 6AM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH:
A. School District 98
B. School District 100
C. School District 201

ALL CARS PARKING IN ANY OF THE ABOVE SCHOOL LOTS MUST BE REMOVED BEFORE FRIDAY,
FEBRUARY, 4th, 2011 AT 6AM, AS SCHOOLS WILL BE REOPENING ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY
4TH.

3. Berwyn Police Officers will be periodically monitoring residents' vehicles at
the temporary parking facilities.
4. In order to allow for effective snow removal, emergency sirens will be
sounding daily at 8am and noon to inform residents that they must relocate their
vehicles. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM SHOVELING OR BLOWING SNOW INTO THE STREETS. ONCE
ADDITIONAL SNOW IS PLACED IN THE STREETS, IT WILL BE PLOWED BACK INTO THE
PARKING STALLS AND / OR PARKWAYS.
5. The Berwyn Fire Department is responding to emergency calls. EMS ambulance
calls will be followed by a district engine / 4 wheel drive vehicle.
6. The Berwyn Police Department will be responding to emergency calls on a
priority basis. For police and fire emergencies dial 911. For non-emergencies,
dial 708-795-5600.
7. Additional staffing has been provided for all Police, Fire and Public Works
departments.
8. Both the police and fire departments will be assisting public works with the
announcement to remove vehicles from the streets before we relocate any
vehicles.

The City of Berwyn Snow Incident Command began February 1st at 10:00 am and is
being extended through Saturday February 5th.

Unless your street has been plowed from curb to curb, please follow the posted
signs for your Snow Emergency parking restrictions

Please be a good Neighbor

Senior Assistance: Even though City staff are assisting as many seniors as
possible, we are asking you to contact your neighbors and friends who are
seniors and / or disabled who need assistance with shoveling their sidewalks,
carriage walks, personal entranceways, behind garages, in addition to any
special needs such as assistance in picking up necessary items like
prescriptions, transportation to doctor's appointments, etc. If you are not able
to assist, contact the City of Berwyn so we can assist.

Please don't plow, blow or shovel snow in the streets.

Check the fire hydrants in your area make sure the fire department has access to
them. If you can clear the snow, please do so. If not, report any hydrants that
are not accessible to the City.

For full details, go to https://local.nixle.com/alert/4647995/?sub_id=397535.

[sheldar]

Okay, first off I have to state that I have only lived in Berwyn for about 6 years now, so I'm clearly not an expert on how things work. Secondly, I'm originally from the deep south so I may be a little slow.

So the rules and the street signs say no parking (at least the ones that I've seen on East Ave) when there is >=6" of snow, right? So given that most houses around here, including ours, don't have drive ways, one would think the most logical place to park is in your own garage. Ah, but that's what I did, and guess what? I couldn't get out of the alley to get to work this morning. Sure I and "most" of the neighbors on at least one half of the block (oh joy to live right smack-dab in the middle!) shoveled a path to 13th street. Then there were the two morons who decided to shovel the snow into the alley to block those of us to the south of them. Thanks folks.

Now last night the cop cars were driving up and down East Ave, warning everyone to move their cars or be towed as the plow-man cometh. And he cameth. And there were still many cars parked, so he ploweth around them. Nice.

And then morning came. Venture a guess as to what the score was? Parking violators,12; towed vehicles, zip. Sweet. 

But surely those people still parked on the west side of East Ave. will move their vehicles before 9am like proper residents do on a street sweeping, a.k.a. really-good-time-to-plow-the-streets day. Okay, 5 cars left. Good, but not great.

And now it's 6:55pm, and no plows have come to clear the spots on the street that couldn't be plowed last night, no vehicles left parking on the west side of the street between 9am and 4pm today have been ticketed or towed, and I'm still trapped in my fucking garage because I followed the rules.

Awesome.

[Sandy]

They came down my street last night around 7. Even if there was someplace to move our cars, there was no time as the plows were right behind the squads. But you see, now the city can say that we were warned and if no one moved it is not the city's fault that the streets were not finished.

[~LL~]

They came down my street last night around 7. Even if there was someplace to move our cars, there was no time as the plows were right behind the squads. But you see, now the city can say that we were warned and if no one moved it is not the city's fault that the streets were not finished.

Two plows came down our block pretty late last night -- must have been 9:00 p.m.+ - but just zoomed straight down the middle which, of course, was all that could be done since vehicles parked on both sides plus some ghettorific lawn chairs.

Thinking about it, and hearing the chatter on my scanner, it seems an awful lot of law enforcement time/our dollars are being spent on officers running plates, trying to locate vehicle's owner - if, indeed, they are a bona-fide Berwyn resident and living on street where vehicle is parked, and then waiting around for them to move so the plows can clear an area.  yet, it seems, no citations are being issued - nor any towing really being done regarding those vehicles that prevent an entire side of a block/street from being completely cleared. 

Is this what is happening city-wide?  In my neighborhood, its the same people who routinely disobey everything that, once again, are not receiving any consequence and, once again, the rest of us have to pay for it or be inconvenienced by their sloth. Argg!  Am sure City is doing its best under the circumstances, but why both even posting 'tow zone' on signs nor make it a ticktable violation if such is not going to happen?

[Homebody]

TONS of activity over here. 

They know where the votes are.

I don't know about that.....this is, or I should say was IVB country. 

It's the only ward in town that has an independent alderperson.  If the city has done well in regard to snow removal in their ward they should certainly thank Marge Paul, their alderman. 

The credit should go to the Public Works crews and Bob Schiller. Marge

[Bonster]

Is this what is happening city-wide?  In my neighborhood, its the same people who routinely disobey everything that, once again, are not receiving any consequence and, once again, the rest of us have to pay for it or be inconvenienced by their sloth. Argg!  Am sure City is doing its best under the circumstances, but why both even posting 'tow zone' on signs nor make it a ticktable violation if such is not going to happen?

Same here, and I'm on Oak Park Avenue.  You'd think they'd move these sloths before those on side streets.  It should be clear from Roosevelt to MacNeal.

[~LL~]

OK. It does seem that those who deserve a ticket (or 2)for holding up the progress of snow removal are indeed getting one...or two (plate expired, etc.).  Good to see happen on my block today and, I hope, elsewhere.

All in all, I think our city is doing a very good job of helping residents get through this extraordinary event.  A shout out and kudos to all involved!  

[Bonster]

OK. It does seem that those who deserve a ticket (or 2)for holding up the progress of snow removal are indeed getting one...or two (plate expired, etc.).  Good to see happen on my block today and, I hope, elsewhere.

How do they give those tickets, via mail, or wrapped in plastic?  For some of these cars you can't even see the windshields, wipers, or license plates.

[~LL~]

Same here, and I'm on Oak Park Avenue.  You'd think they'd move these sloths before those on side streets.  It should be clear from Roosevelt to MacNeal.

Excellent common sense point, "Bonster"! But, hope we don't have another such 'event' any time soon to perhaps try it out...

[berwynguy]

OUCH!  Amtrack train just hit a front end loader that was stuck on the tracks at Stanley & Grove.  No one hurt thank God.

[~LL~]

OK. It does seem that those who deserve a ticket (or 2)for holding up the progress of snow removal are indeed getting one...or two (plate expired, etc.).  Good to see happen on my block today and, I hope, elsewhere.

How do they give those tickets, via mail, or wrapped in plastic?  For some of these cars you can't even see the windshields, wipers, or license plates.

Probably enclosed in one of those durable little orange envelopes you may have seen on vehicles. Of course, if the envelope/ticket gets wet and unreadable - it is still the responsibility of the vehicle owner to find out what the ticket was for and to pay it.  If they do not, the fine goes up in 10 days and eventually they will get notification in the mail.  Accumulated unpaid tickets will, as you know, result in 'da Boot.  I'm sure officers found a way to afix tic to vehicle somehow.

[berwyn senator]

I was out last night,and none of the suburbs were out salting or plowing,the main streets were terrible.Berwyn just has a reputation from years ago when you were on your own as far as cleaning the snow,Berwyn never had the equipment years ago,nor would they spend the money.

[tgoddess]

At 5:30am today 16th street was definitely plowed, as was OPA at least between 16th and Roosevelt.  Still lots of cars that look like they had been sitting overnight, though and un-ticketed.  Didn't the ordinance recently get updated so that people had to be off the main drags to allow for plowing when snow is 3 or 4 inches (rather than the previous 6")?

FTR, OPA in Oak Park still looked like shit this morning between Roosevelt and the Blue Line.

[watcher]

I was out last night,and none of the suburbs were out salting or plowing,the main streets were terrible.Berwyn just has a reputation from years ago when you were on your own as far as cleaning the snow,Berwyn never had the equipment years ago,nor would they spend the money./quote]

My son reported that no towns were plowed between Schiller Park and River Forest. Reaching Forest Park, all the streets were plowed/salted.

About an hour ago the sidewalk plow passed by.

I won't even bitch about having to go back out to dig out the front walk and service walk berms left behind by the SW plow!
I've said it before, we have the best snow removal; bar none.

[Bonster]

Reaching Forest Park, all the streets were plowed/salted.

About an hour ago the sidewalk plow passed by.

Small town charm!

Do they do your alleys?

[watcher]

Reaching Forest Park, all the streets were plowed/salted.

About an hour ago the sidewalk plow passed by.

Small town charm!

Do they do your alleys?

Yes. The order goes: main streets, side streets, alleys, sidewalks.
Our PW guys take each snowfall VERY personal. Curb to curb is their standard for streets.
They have "routine" snowfalls down. They are, without question, the gold standard!
In large "events" like last February,  it gets dicey.  You can only push so much snow until you run out of places to put it. Then you have to break out the heavy machinery and truck it away. IIRC, it took almost two weeks to get some areas clear, but they didn't slack off at any time.

It almost makes up for the other stuff.