About 2.5 inches of fluffy white stuff has dropped on Oak Park so far, but officials say residents can park where they please at this point. River Forest, meanwhile, has put its parking ban in place.
Public Works Director John Wielebnicki said snow crews have been on top of things since flurries started falling this morning. So Oak Park won’t be ticketing cars for parking on major streets, and it’s not asking residents to only park on one half of the side streets.
“We’ve been up working since 9, so our snow routes are pretty clear,” Wielebnicki said. “They’re saying we could still get some more, but it’s kind of fizzled out.”
Oak Park could get another 4-7 inches of snow overnight, Wielebnicki said. Depending on how quickly things pile up, and how crews are able to respond, he’ll likely make a judgment call at 7 a.m. Friday on whether to put the ban in place. Residents can keep an eye on the village’s website, oak-park.us, or call 708-358-7669 for updates.
Meanwhile in River Forest, public works employees did three rounds of salting on the village’s main streets in the morning and afternoon, but no plowing was necessary, said Public Works Director Phil Cotter. Parking is prohibited on all the streets and alleys when the snowfall exceeds 2 inches, Cotter said.
Crews are taking a breather for rush hour, and are expected to hit the roads again soon. Wielebnicki said a different shift of 15 workers will roll out at midnight, including about 10 snowplows and two smaller vehicles to clear sidewalks.
“We’ll be out all night,” he said.
With more than 2 inches accumulating, Oak Park residents will have 24 hours to clear their sidewalks, from the time the snow stops, or risk receiving a citation. Village spokesman David Powers said the village rarely writes tickets, though, as the majority of homeowners keep their walkways clear.
“Most people get out and shovel pretty quickly, so we don’t find it to be a huge issue,” he said
Staff Reporter Devin Rose contributed to this report.
