The Portland City Council’s Sustainability & Transportation (S&T) Committee will consider recommending changes to the city’s snow ban parking policy at its next meeting on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 at 5:00 pm. Public comment will be taken on this item.
City staff is proposing to increase the citation fine from $40 to $175 for failing to move a vehicle during winter storm parking bans. The goal of this change is to increase compliance and improve the speed and efficiency of snow removal from city streets. If a vehicle is towed to a private operation’s lot during snow ban hours, the vehicle owner would be required to pay the standard $135 tow fee, but the citation fee from the city would be reduced to $40. resulting in a more equitable penalty for not complying with the parking ban. In addition to increasing the citation fee, staff proposes adding six new snow ban parking locations, on top of the existing 22 locations already approved.
Over the last several years, complliance during snow parking bans has suffered due to a lack of enforcement resources. City staff rely on private tow truck companies to assist them during active parking bans and fewer tow trucks have been available. While declaring parking bans can be inconvenient, the resulting lack of compliance makes it harder to perform timely snow removal operations and maintain accessibiliy for first responders and residents.
In addition to the lack of compliance and enforcement resources, the city has also been challenged in maintaining an on-peninsula impound lot for those cars that are towed during a snow parking ban. The impound lot has moved several times over the years, most recently it has been located at the Ocean Gateway lot located at Commercial and India Streets.
However, this site is in the process of becoming Harbor Commons Park and is scheduled to close as a parking lot in November. Staff has been actively exploring other options to locate an impound lot, but has not been successful. As the peninsusla continues to become more densely populated, identifing a large, unused parking lot that is suitable for an impound lot will be an ever present challenge. Rather than tryig to find a short-term solution, staff is proposing to change the current violation fee in order to improve compliance without resorting to towing vehicles. In the event vehicles must be towed, they will be brought to the private tow-truck operator’s lot.
Currently, if a vehicle is in violation of the snow parking ban and is towed, the total cost to reclaim the vehicle within 24 hours is $210. If a vehicle is in violation of the ban and not towed, the owner receives a $40 citation. The tow fine, the relatively small degree of towing and the lack of time and resources to equitably enforce violators has contribued to a lack of compliance.
Staff proposes adding new snow ban parking locations in the following areas: Baxter Blvd; Eastern Promenade; St. James; Douglass Street; Rainbow Mall Road; and Valley Street.
The item was first discussed at the S&T Committee’s September 10, 2025 meeting. Following action at the Commitee level, the item must receive approval from the full City Council at a future meeting.