Saint John urged to deal with overnight parking problem

A Saint John councillor says the city has to find a way to get car owners to stop leaving their vehicles on municipal streets overnight.

On-street parking is banned throughout much of the city during winter months to allow crews to remove snow.

A car left for 24 hours without an on-street parking permit is considered abandoned under the province's Motor Vehicle Act.

But Coun. Gerry Lowe says cars are being left for far longer than that.

He said the police require proof that a vehicle has not been moved for at least 24 hours after it comes to their attention.

It is a process that can take several days.

"The bottom line is the cars aren't towed," says Lowe.

"And they're definitely impeding the plowing of our streets here in the city."

Lowe says there have been cases where plows have become trapped because they are unable to turn around after attempting to clear a narrow, car-clogged residential street.

And many of the car ownersare repeat offenders, Lowe says.

"It's the same cars, parking in the same area, he says.

Tenant says no other option for parking

Stephanie Lennon is one of people who leaves her car on the street year-round.

It has already been towed once this winter from its spot in front of her Wright Street apartment building. It cost her more than $100 to get it back.

"They took it because I wouldn't move it, because I couldn't," says Lennon.

In fact her car was back in its regular spot on the street on Monday, still covered in snow fromSaturdaynight's storm.

Lennon says as a tenant in an apartment house she has no other option but to park on the street.

"We didn't even know. They didn't even let us know they were taking it," says Gary Yeo, Lennon's boyfriend.

"There was no note on the windshield. They just took it. They said if the car doesn't move in 24 hours. They can take it."

Yeo and Lennon aren't alone. Wright Street has been considerably narrowed by snow surrounding cars parked along its entire length.

"We live right here," says Yeo.

"You pay rent but we can't park our cars."

Snow-covered cars could be seen on several streets on Monday in the city's north end, particularly in areas where there are many apartment buildings.