GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.--It's only mid-November, but winter weather is back in full force and so are parking restrictions around the Grand Rapids area. The city is now ticketing drivers who aren't following the odd-even rules.
"It's a lot easier to be proactive than react later," said Chris Zull, Grand Rapids Traffic Division.
From Nov. 1 to April 1, the city of Grand Rapids enforces odd-even parking along some neighborhood roads. But this year, the city is trying a new method of one-side only parking in some areas. On those streets, no switching sides on odd/even dates. Just park on one side all winter.
"We sent out 1,600 direct mail to the residents and the owners of the properties of those affected 19 streets," Zull said.
Weston Persons lives on a road with odd-even parking and says changing sides can be confusing. It even caused him to get a ticket last winter.
"It was an odd day which was the 31, and then the 1 was obviously another odd day and I actually got a ticket right in front of my own driveway," Persons said.
As snow begins to already cover his street, he says he'll be more careful about where he leaves his car this winter.
"I always find myself checking the side of the street at night when I'm parking and trying to make sure I'm parking on the right side. That means I have to spin around and go around the block basically just to find a new spot."
If you find a ticket on your windshield, you can expect to pay at least $20.
