Director of the City’s Public Works Department Mike Murray is a Long Time Employee of City Hall. He Previously was a Liasison to Peaks Island from City Hall.
The ticket fee for faiing to move vehicles this winter during a storm parking ban will now be $130. The Portland City Council voted to approve changes to its snow ban policy at its November 3, 2025 meeting in an effort to achieve greater compliance in order to improve the speed and efficiency of snow removal from city streets. (The vote was 8 – 1 with Councilor Kate Sykes of District 5 the sole dissenting vote.)
When vehicles do not move during declared parking bans, it greatly affects plow crews ability to successfully clear snow and ice, leading to safety concerns for first responders, as well as residents ability to get in and out of their neighborhoods.
Vehicles that do not move during a winter storm parking ban are still subject to towing as well as ticketing. Under the new policy, if a vehicle is towed, it will be brought to the private tow truck operator’s lot and the vehicle owner will be required to pay the standard $135 tow fee (which goes to the tow truck operator), but the ticket fee from the City will be reduced to $40. resulting in a more equitable penalty for not complying with the parking ban. Please note that towed vehicles will be going to the private tow truck operator’s lot as the City no longer has an impound lot available to it.
“Our goal is to not have to ticket or tow any vehicle during a parking ban,” said Mike Murray, Public Works Director. “What we’re looking for is compliance so that our plow crews can clear city streets as quickly and efficiently as possible durring snow and ice storms. Improving our ability to do so ensures that first responders have access in emergencies and residents can easily get in and out of their neighborhoods…………”
The city is adding six new snow ban parking locations, on top of the existing 22 locations already approved. The new locations will be located in the following areas:
BAXTER BLVD – Coverside between Preble Street and Bates Street; EASTERN PROMENADE – Extend closer to Major Charles Loring Memorial Park; ST. JAMES – Odd side next to park; DOUGLASS STREET – Odd side next to park; RAINBOW MALL ROAD – Next to the woods; VALLEY STREET- South of C Street, next to park.
The public can sign up to receive email and text message notifications sent directly to them when parking bans are called by visiting portlandmaine.gov/stayaconnected. The city has roughly 32,000 subscribers to its parking ban alert notification group. In addition, the city poss parking ban alerts on is w ebsite, on all of its social media channels and on a phane hotline that can be reached by calling at 207 – 879-0300. when parking bans are declared, the city also ensures the Time & Temp ‘building electronic sign displays PRK BAN, illuminates other electronic traffic signs at major intersections, and reaches out to area hotels to ensure they’re aware and can inform their guests”.
“A more incremental increase in the fee would have been appropriate,” says this Left Wing Lunatic. ” A moderate increase might have achieved the same goal. This drastic increase however does seen to align with the city’s apparent goal of reducing the use of vehicles within the city.”