Dearborn Updates Snow Emergency Ordinance

The city of Dearborn has updated its snow emergency ordinance to include a pilot program to provide temporary parking areas in order to assist residents who have difficulties removing their vehicles from the street during a declared emergency.

When a snow emergency is in effect, parked vehicles must be removed from roads to allow for safer and more effective snow plowing.

Vehicles parked on streets during snow emergencies will be ticketed. Police do not issue warnings. Tickets are $80.

Pilot parking system offered during snow emergencies

This winter season, the city will be offering a temporary parking option on designated streets for residents in neighborhoods in southeast Dearborn.

In addition, the temporary parking will be allowed on designated streets in the northeast portion of Dearborn, bounded by Ford Road to Warren Avenue, and Chase Road to Oakman Boulevard.

Signs will be posted on temporary parking streets to notify residents which roads are being made available for this service.

A map highlighting the streets were temporary parking is allowed will be placed on the city’s website, www.cityofdearborn.org.

Vehicles must be removed from the temporary parking areas within 24 hours of the snow emergency declaration or the owner will be ticketed.

Residents are responsible for moving their vehicles back to their own street once the road is cleared so that the temporary parking streets can also be plowed.

With the previous winter’s large amount of snowfall, the city identified these areas where residents had the most difficulty removing vehicles due to congestion or lack of sufficient driveway space.

Snow emergency tickets are $80

The City Council further amended the snow emergency ordinance by eliminating the discount for paying a snow emergency ticket within the first three days. Previously, tickets would increase to $80 after that three-day period, but will now be $80 from the moment of issuance.

The Council also added a provision that permits police to ticket parked vehicles even after a snow emergency has expired. These specific cases would apply to vehicles that are plowed in by snow plows, covered by snow, or show other signs of never having been moved during the snow emergency.

Snow emergencies may be declared when three inches or more of snow is expected over a short period of time.

These declarations are made so that the City can plow streets from curb to curb, allowing ambulances, fire trucks and police cars to reach residents as quickly as possible, and also permitting residents to safely navigate two-lane residential streets.

Notification methods

When a snow emergency is declared, the outdoor early warning sirens will be activated to signal the beginning of the emergency. Parked vehicles must be removed when the sirens sound.

Residents can also check to see if a snow emergency is in effect by checking www.cityofdearborn.org, by visiting the city’s Facebook and Twitter pages, or by calling the Dearborn’s snow emergency hotline at 313-943-2444.

Snow emergency information will be posted on City of Dearborn Television (CDTV) and sent out via email alerts through Nixle. Residents can sign up to receive alerts at Nixle.com.

Local TV and radio stations will also be contacted to distribute this information.