Chicago’s Winter Overnight Parking Ban Starts Friday. Here’s What To Know

The city’s winter overnight parking ban begins Friday and will be in effect through April 1.

The Department of Streets and Sanitation will enforce the ban, regardless of snow, 3-7 a.m. daily on 107 miles of main streets throughout the city.

Cars left parked on designated roadways will be towed, and drivers will face a minimum $150 towing fee, $60 ticket and storage fee of $25 per day.

Cars will be towed to Pound 2, 10301 S. Doty Ave. or Pound 6, 701 N. Sacramento Ave., according to a Streets and Sanitation news release.

The parking ban “helps ensure public safety each winter by allowing emergency vehicles and public transportation to move freely and reducing hazardous conditions for motorists, pedestrians and other travelers,” Commissioner Cole Stallard said in the news release.

City crews use the early morning hours of the parking ban to salt and plow critical routes and prevent a buildup of snow and ice, which can reduce traffic flow and create unsafe conditions, according to the department.

Neighbors can visit the Chicago Shovels website for a map of impacted streets and to see the city’s snow plow routes in real time. People should refer to the website or dial 311 if they think their car was towed. 

Streets and San crews will post signs along affected routes and put flyers on cars parked on streets as an additional reminder before Friday.