Calgarians are ticketed for on-street parking after the cleanup

When street cleaners go around the city, residents can be surprised – can you park on the road after the job is done?

If not after 4 p.m., some Calgarians are finding that out the hard way.

A southeast Calgary resident told CityNews he thought it was OK to put his car back on the street after the curb in front of his house was clear. Finally got the ticket.

“The street was swept and other cars were returned,” he said. “I looked at the website, I looked down, and there's a paragraph that says don't return the car before 4 o'clock because law enforcement might drive by.”

He doesn't think he needs to go to the city's website to find out, and says his neighbors who have done the same feel the same.

“For me, it's a cash grab,” he says. “The bailiff should be able to say that the street has been cleaned. I don't think there's any common sense here.”

A violation carries a fine of $80, which rises to $120 if not paid within a month.

The City of Calgary says it does its best to get information out every season, but unfortunately that's not enough for everyone. Signs posted around the neighborhood state that vehicles will be ticketed on the day of the cleanup from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“It's a question that comes up every year,” says Todd Sullivan, supervisor of Calgary Parking Patrol and Investigations. “There is a lot of information about the signs, but we know that people mostly walk by them, so the information is detailed on the website.”

Sullivan said sweepers must return after the initial sweep, so residents are not allowed to park after the first sweep is complete.

“They may not be working on your block, they have a day to do whatever they want,” he says.

The city ​​spring cleaning program runs through June, the community is Monday through Friday.