Regina’s snow route parking ban, explained

What a snow route actually is

A snow route is a stretch of Regina road where the City bans on-street parking for 24 hours so plows can clear it from curb to curb. There are about 16 kilometres of it, spread across ten segments, all marked with blue signs carrying a white snowflake.

Those particular streets were picked because parked cars make them awkward to plow properly. With the parking lane empty, one pass does the job that would otherwise take several and still leave windrows behind.

The signs are permanent. They mark where a ban applies, not when one is on — which is why people who rely on reading the sign are the ones who get the ticket.

Trigger

5 cm of snowfall

Notice

By 3 p.m. the day before

Ban runs

6 a.m. to 6 a.m.

Ticket

$120

Network

16 km, ten stretches

Which days

Any day of the week

Snow reaches 5 cm

The City declares a snow route once a storm has dropped at least five centimetres. Below that, no ban.

Notice by 3 p.m.

The declaration goes out by 3 p.m. the day before the ban starts — Sweep&Plow app, email, phone, the City’s Facebook and X accounts, and regina.ca.

6 a.m. the next morning

The ban begins at 6 a.m. and runs a full 24 hours, to 6 a.m. the following day. Declared at 3 p.m. Tuesday means no parking 6 a.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday.

Crews plow curb to curb

With the parking lane empty, plows can take the full width of the road instead of weaving around cars.

$120 if you stayed

Vehicles still on the route are ticketed $120, and can be towed.

6 a.m. and it lifts

Parking is legal again the moment the 24 hours are up. No second notice is sent.

No notice by 3 p.m.? Park where you like

The City puts it plainly: residents and businesses are free to return the following morning if there has been no notification before 3 p.m. the day before — no matter what the weather brings.

So a blizzard rolling in at 8 p.m. does not retroactively create a ban. If 3 p.m. passed without a declaration, the route is open. Cars get moved needlessly every winter over exactly this.

How you find out

Declarations go out through the Sweep&Plow app, by email and phone, on the City’s Facebook and X accounts, and on regina.ca. The notifications are free and worth turning on if you park on any of the ten stretches below.

The City also runs a winter maintenance map that shows plowing progress across the city during a snow event, which is a better answer than guessing whether your street has been done.

Hold an accessible parking permit through the Saskatchewan Abilities Council? The City asks you to call 306-777-7000 and work out an alternative rather than risk the ticket.

Snow routes

Arterial roads, plowed curb to curb during a 24-hour parking ban. Nothing to do with your driveway, your walk or your lot. Ten segments, city-wide.

The residential plow

A separate program on residential streets. Crews plow around parked cars where they have to, and the snow gets pushed into a ridge along the curb line rather than hauled away. That ridge across your driveway is the part people call us about.

Your sidewalk, driveway and lot

Under the Clean Property Bylaw the sidewalk beside your property is yours to clear — 48 hours for most properties, 24 downtown. Your driveway and parking lot were never anyone else’s responsibility.

When does Regina declare a snow route parking ban?

The City declares a snow route once snowfall has reached a minimum of 5 cm. Notice goes out by 3 p.m. the day before the ban takes effect, and it can happen on any day of the week.

How much is the fine for parking on a Regina snow route?

$120. Vehicles left on a declared snow route during the ban are ticketed, and they can also be towed so crews can plow curb to curb.

What time does the snow route parking ban start and end?

It runs for 24 hours, from 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. If the City declares a snow route at 3 p.m. on a Tuesday, there is no parking on the route from 6 a.m. Wednesday until 6 a.m. Thursday.

How do I find out if a snow route has been declared?

The City sends notice through the Sweep&Plow app, by email and phone, on its Facebook and X accounts, and on regina.ca. Signing up for the notifications is the reliable way — the signs tell you where the routes are, not whether a ban is on.

Which streets are snow routes in Regina?

Roughly 16 km of road across ten stretches, all marked with blue signs carrying a white snowflake: parts of Winnipeg Street, Victoria Avenue, Toronto Street, College Avenue, Broadway Avenue, 15th Avenue, 14th Avenue and 13th Avenue. They were chosen because on-street parking makes them hard to plow efficiently.

Does a snow route ban mean my driveway or sidewalk gets cleared?

No. A snow route ban is about arterial roads, not your property. The City’s residential plow is a separate program that leaves a snow ridge along the curb line and does not haul snow away from residential streets, and clearing the sidewalk beside your property is the owner’s responsibility under the Clean Property Bylaw.

What if I have an accessible parking permit?

The City asks permit holders through the Saskatchewan Abilities Council’s Parking Program for People with Disabilities to call 306-777-7000 so an alternative can be worked out.