Drivers began waking up to an unpleasant scene Friday morning as dozens of cars were towed across the city for the start of the overnight winter parking ban.
It's a costly mistake that impacts several drivers each year.
"So it's 5 o' clock in the morning, I had work in two hours and I woke up to the alarm going off on [my car] and I tried to take it off but I couldn't so I had to come get it from the impound," said Nick Vasquez, who said his car was parked on Milwaukee Avenue when it was towed.
The ban restricts motorists from parking on 107 miles of arterial streets between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. through March 31, 2018, according to a statement from the Department of Streets and Sanitation.
The city warns scofflaws that it “vigorously enforces” the ban regardless of snow, with violators facing a $150 towing fee, a $20 daily storage fee and a $60 ticket to top it all off.
A separate ban prevents motorists from parking on another 500 miles of main streets in the city and is activated when snowfall hits 2 inches, the city said. Those who park during a parking ban could receive a ticket and find their vehicle relocated to make way for plows.
The bans were implemented after traffic came to a standstill during major snowstorms in 1967 and 1979, the city said.
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To find your vehicle if it has been towed, go to www.cityofchicago.org.
