Megan Shute Shoveling A Mix Of Snow And Water

By Carol McCracken  (Post # 348)

The City of Portland has announced its first parking ban of this season starting tonight at 6:00 p.m.  It ends tomorrow at 6:00 a.m.  The parking ban will allow city crews to remove snow from today’s storm and clear streets for parking.  Residents whose trash collection day is Thursday are asked to wait until tomorrow morning, 6:30 a.m., before placing tash and recycling at the curb for pick-up.

Vehicles left on the street will be towed at the owner’s expense including  tow fee, impound fee and cost of a ticket and all outstanding tickets.  Vehicles will be towed to the city’s impound lot located at the Ocean Gateway International Marine Terminal on Commercial Street.  (Phone number is 774-3025)

There are a number of places people can park at no charge during a parking ban including Cutter Street lots off the Eastern Prom.   A drive by performed around 4:00 pm of Cutter Street showed that many car owners had gotten the word and already were parking their cars on Cutter Street.

Peter Knight is  on the city’s parking ban email list said:  “I’m surprised there is a parking ban tonight.  It’s more of an inconvenience ’cause the roads are getting cleaned off by all the rain we are now having.  Jenna Quartaro, who was walking back to Beckett Street from parking her car on Cutter Street said she likewise was surprised at the parking ban.  Hopefully, though it will clear the streets to make parking much better, she added.

One store employee on Congress Street said the 6:00 pm ban is a real inconvenience for store employees as well as though delivering food and supplies to them. 

Meanwhile, shoveling more water than snow in front of her newly purchased building at 42- 44 Congress Street was Megan Shute.  “It seems more like  rain than snow,” she said laughing.   Megan is a R.N. at Mercy Hospital.

Residents and visitors to the city can sign up online at www.portlandmaine.gov,  call the parking ban hotline at 879-0300 or check the Time and Temperature sign for up-to-date postings on the parking ban.