Chicago overnight winter parking ban begins Tuesday

The annual Chicago overnight winter parking ban goes into effect on Tuesday, Dec. 1, and runs through March 31, 2016.

The parking ban will be enforced from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., and will affect 107 miles of city streets, according to a statement from the Department of Streets and Sanitation.

Those who don’t move their cars will face a minimum $150 towing fee; a $60 ticket; and a storage fee of $20 a day. Vehicles in violation of the ban will be towed to Pound 2, 10301 S. Doty Ave., or Pound 6, 701 N. Sacramento Ave.

Streets and Sanitation officials say that if drivers violate the ban, that makes it difficult to fully plow and salt the streets and decreases traffic flow,

Signs have been posted throughout the city, and Streets and Sanitation workers have posted fliers on cars parked on restricted streets to remind drivers of the ban, according to the statement.

“During a snow storm it is critical that crews are able to plow and salt Chicago’s main streets. This helps us restore the city to normal as quickly as possible, and ensures that buses can access routes to take passengers to work, school and along their daily routines,” Commissioner Charles L. Williams said in the statement.