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Police Enforcing Even-Odd Parking Ordinance

Posted at 4:44 PM, Feb 02, 2013
and last updated 2013-02-02 16:45:17-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich– Parking on the side of a busy road comes will its ups and downs. Lisa Quick lives off Turning Avenue right next to downtown Grand Rapids.

“I’ve lived in condos where parallel parking has always been like this and it’s just something you have to deal with,” Quick said.

Like many people, Lisa is digging her car out, because she has errands to run, but she’s also avoiding a potential ticket. Grand Rapids has an even-odd parking ordinance put in place, to make it easy for crews to plow the streets.  Between 1a.m. and 6 p.m., there is no parking on the even or odd-numbered side of the street on snowy days, depending on the day.  No parking on the odd side on even-numbered days and no parking on the even side, on odd-numbered days. 

“Yeah, it’s typical you’re expecting a snow storm sooner or later,” Izabella Zacharski said.

Izabella is also trying to dig her car out. She’s a student at Grand Rapids Community College and has a few errands to run. She’s never gotten a ticket for parking on the road, but hates how plow trucks push snow up to her vehicle.

“I was like, oh crap, this is going to take me forever to get my car out myself,” Zacharski said.

Both Izabella and Lisa are hoping this is the first and last time they’ll have to dig their cars out this season.

“Normally, it’s been really nice lately. It was what, 40 degree weather we’ve had for the last couple months. I really enjoyed that weather more,” Zacharski said.

Officers enforce the even-odd parking ordnance by paying attention to cars in their beat area. If they notice a vehicle that’s violating the ordnance, they will write it a ticket.