New Snow Emergency Rules in Dearborn
Beginning in January, Dearborn residents may no longer be allowed to have their car block the sidewalk while in the driveway during snow emergencies.
A new city ordinance will prohibit residents from parking in their driveway over the sidewalk during snow emergencies.
This change in the city ordinance regarding snow emergency rules is likely to be approved in January by the City Council. If approved, residents will no longer be able to park vehicles across the sidewalk during a snow emergency.
Dearborn officials say this practice is being eliminated because it is in conflict with the American with Disabilities Act. A car parked across a sidewalk may block a person with a disability from traveling safely.
Dearborn officials say by moving parked vehicles off of the street whenever three inches or more of snow is predicted to fall allows snow plows to clear curb-to-curb instead of working around parked vehicles.
If Dearborn declares a snow emergency, residents must remove parked vehicles from the street or you could be ticketed and your vehicles could be towed.
Police do not issue warnings during snow emergencies.
Generally, you may move vehicles back on the street once the street has been plowed curb to curb and no further heavy snowfall is expected.
Driveway aprons do become snow covered during snowplowing operations. Dearborn officials ask that residents not pile snow back into the cleared street and avoid throwing snow onto your neighbor’s property without permission.
You can check if a snow emergency has been declared via any of the following methods:
• Snow emergency hotline at 943-2444.
• www.cityofdearborn.org
• CDTV, which is cable channel 10 on WOW and cable channel 12 on Comcast.
• TV news programs and news radio stations.
• You may also hear the City’s emergency warning sirens go off.
• Twitter.com messages via the “cityofdearborn” account.
• Text or email messages sent to your phone or email from the public safety information system known as Nixle. Sign up for alerts at Nixle.com.
December 18th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
In an article in the P&G Sunday, “This practice is being eliminated because it is in conflict with the American with Disabilities Act”. I would say they have to approve it.
@Deep – very nice article in the same paper today written by you regarding West Dearborn.
December 18th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
How many disabled people will be traveling down the sidewalk during a snow emergency? We gave them all this extra tax money and all they can do is pass more restrictive ordinances and approve valet parking?
And if that’s the case than what do disabled people do in other cities where there is no ordinance against blocking sidewalk? Just another excuse to write more tickets. Still nothing that will improve the quality of life in our city or attract people to buy homes, shop and eat here.
December 18th, 2011 at 9:32 pm
But it’s ok to block the sidewalk for disabled people on public service day? What sense does that make? More people would be outside in the summer rather than during a snow emergency. How friendly is a parking meter to a disabled person? I have carpal tunnel and can’t out my quarters in the meter. They just seem to pass things and tear down things and do things without thinking things out. How many snow emergencies do we have in a year? I think we have bigger problems to worry about here than someone blocking the side walk for that couple of hours it takes for the snow plow to come through. I’d rather have the cars off the street so they can plow efficiently.
December 18th, 2011 at 9:36 pm
Who even brought that up? I have never heard of a disabled person complaining that they can’t get down the sidewalk during a snow emergency. Just sounds like another reason to write more tickets. They must already have big plans for the ticket money.
December 19th, 2011 at 9:47 am
What happens with people who live on a corner and you already have two cars in the garage – what happens to the other car? Where is the other car suppose to go? Not on the grass cuz you can get a ticket? Can’t go in the driveway because you are blocking the sidewalk for the disable person who will be walking during a snowstorm! Please!! Dearborn sure has gotten picky over the last few years! One of the reasons I am looking to get out of Dearborn!
December 19th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
What if it was a blizzard and the snow was shoveled into 3-4 foot piles around your driveway bib and you blocked the walk? Even a non-disabled person wouldn’t be able to get around it. I can’t believe the hostility posted here over ADA compliance. I always thought it was commonsense to not block the sidewalk with your vehicle at any time – let alone a snow, but I’ve always been someone who thought of how my actions affect other people around me.
December 19th, 2011 at 4:38 pm
Not to mention I didn’t want my nice car to have a dent kicked in it for letting it block the sidewalk (which is what I wanted to do to those that did).
December 19th, 2011 at 8:28 pm
It is my recollection that you could be ticketed for blocking your sidewalk with a parked vehicle (regardless of the time of year) looonnngggg before someone cooked up the idea of covering their backside behind the Americans with Disabilities Act. So what is the real reason behind this change in policy?
December 20th, 2011 at 7:18 am
The old snow emergency ordinance allowed for parking across sidewalks during a snow emergency. This language was specifically in the ordinance. This is because people who are on corner lots sometimes could not pull onto their driveway without blocking the sidewalk. Now, I guess they will have to find another place to park.
December 20th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
I live by Fordson High and people block the sidewalk routinely with their cars even during good weather. I’ve never seen any one get a ticket. Not sure this will have any effect.
December 20th, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Same thing on our street Chris….happens every day all year long and no tickets!!
December 22nd, 2011 at 6:32 pm
$$$$.
December 22nd, 2011 at 8:05 pm
I’m glad to see our energy focused on this type of crap when crime is going through the roof over here in the Levagood Park area. It’s sad that the city keeps this sort of hush, and the only article Deep has posted about the crime is when the 3 were arrested. The only reason that received coverage was because the 3 were caught. You know what though, break-ins keep happening. So when is the city going to do something about it, and it first starts by acknowledging to the neighborhood that there is an issue, and that all residents need to be on the look out for each other, and the police needs to put full staff in place to fix it, or this city will literally collapse, as folks don’t want to raise family in the midst of crime.
December 23rd, 2011 at 2:15 pm
I can’t believe this! So now that it’s 30 degrees out the street sweepers are coming down the street? What’s wrong with this city? That is a huge waste of money. When we run out of work at my job I get laid off. But then again my boss doesn’t have taxpayer money to burn.
December 23rd, 2011 at 5:10 pm
To Icantbelievethis:
What you should be complaining about is that while the city has farmed out street sweeping to a contractor, no one is watching what an incredible poor job that contractor (its employees) are doing in and around the Summer/Stephens Park area today (Dec. 23). I saw two street sweepers, not one, go around piles of leaves in the gutter of the street (thanks to my lazy neighbors). Another fine job by the city administration. They are too busy waiting with pen in hand to ticket me for my car parked across my sidewalk but contracted the street sweeping out to the Marx Brothers! Just beautiful. Can’t wait to see what happens next in this town.
December 26th, 2012 at 11:00 pm
Another way dearborn rips off their citizens.2 cars can only fit in my driveway while the 3rd will block sidewalk a little. No where to park without getting a ticket.Dearborn city council needs to open their eyes.