LEWISTON — Police and Public Works crews have one piece of advice for downtown residents: If you see a no parking sign, believe it.

“There has been some confusion among residents about where they can park because the city has changed its winter parking ban rules,” Dottie Perham-Whittier, the city’s community relations coordinator, said. “Some people think the signs no longer apply, but they do.”

People who park in those zones will be ticketed and towed. Administrative Sgt. David Chick said the city’s new storm-by-storm ban does not apply on several streets downtown — specifically, streets that are especially narrow.

This is the first year for the new policy. The city will notify residents via TV, radio, newspapers and on the city’s website and via text message and email when a parking ban will go into effect. The city has also set up a parking ban telephone hotline at 513-3141 that residents can call to check.

The city has created a page on the city’s website, www.lewistonmaine.gov, with information about the parking ban.

Downtown residents will have to move their cars off city streets during the bans to make room for city plows. They can park on the street at any other time throughout the season.

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Overnight parking is still banned on more than 40 streets during the winter.

“There is going to be a learning curve for us, working with this for the first year,” Chick said. “There may be some flux where Public Works is doing their job, and they realize they cannot deal with a certain street.”

The best rule of thumb for residents is that if they see a no parking sign, they should believe it.

“Spring, summer, winter or fall, there are places where overnight parking is illegal all year round,” Chick said.

Cars left on the street during the ban will be towed and owners will be assessed a $30 fine, and will have to pay towing and storage costs, in addition to any outstanding parking tickets. Owners can call the towing information line at 784-6421 to find out which towing company took their car and how they can get it back.

staylor@sunjournal.com

Lewiston Streets where Winter Parking ban still enforced

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