Off the streets: Winter overnight parking ban takes effect

Nov. 19, 2021  |  By Lisa Scagliotti 

Stowe Street is clear of vehicles on a quiet winter night last winter. Photo by Gordon Miller

The official start of winter may still be a month away but early snowfalls are inching their way down ridgelines and state and local highway departments are preparing for snow-plowing season. 

Monday, Nov. 15, marked the start of the winter parking ban in Waterbury that runs through April 15. All vehicles must be removed from street parking throughout the town between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. to allow for plowing. 

The ban is in effect regardless of the weather or forecast. Anyone needing overnight parking may use the municipal lot at 51 South Main Street, according to Public Works Director Bill Woodruff. 

The town contracts with the towing operator E&S Transport in Bolton to enforce the ban. Tow trucks peruse the streets nightly looking for violators in an arrangement the town has with the contractor. 

Because Waterbury does not have police or other enforcement officers ticketing violators - state troopers who handle policing do not address parking issues - both enforcement and towing fall to the towing contractor. 

“We’ll be checking every night,” said Steve Harrington from E&S. He said his drivers have a job to do and often bear the brunt of residents upset when their vehicle is towed.   “We’re not trying to be mean. I do have a heart. I don’t like doing this, but I’ve also been behind the wheel of a plow,” he said.

Vehicles that are towed are taken to a secure lot in Bolton, Harrington said. The fee to retrieve a vehicle is $100 for the first offense. That increases by $25 for each subsequent offense. (A vehicle towed a second time would cost $125, a third time $150, etc.) That schedule is meant to be a deterrent to violating the parking ban but not everyone heeds it, Harrington said. “We had two cars towed five times last year,” he recalled. 

Anyone whose vehicle has been towed should call E&S at 802-434-4797. The facility is open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.