Snow Emergency Declared

A Snow Emergency has been declared effective Saturday, January 28, 2023, starting at 6:00 p.m., until 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 28. Cars should not be parked on Emergency Snow Routes. Vehicles parked on designated Snow Routes after a Snow Emergency has been declared may be ticketed and/or towed. These routes are typically main arterials, bus routes, school zones, and areas near hospitals. They are designated with street signage and are prioritized for plows to clear due to their high traffic volumes.  A list of Emergency Snow Routes can be found on the City’s website: cityofcr.com/snow  

Public Works will provide coverage 24/7 to address snowfall.

Prioritization for snow removal includes:

• Emergency Snow Routes and main arterials (1^st Avenue, Edgewood Road, etc.) 
• Collector streets (collector streets connect residential neighborhoods to main arterials)
• Residential side streets

During heavy and/or slow-moving snow events, crews may need to clear main routes multiple times in order to keep up with accumulations, before they can make their way into residential neighborhoods. After a snowfall ends, it may take up to 12 hours for crews to reach every street in the city. Cedar Rapids has approximately 1,400 lane miles of roadway to plow.

Parking on Residential Side Streets:

Starting on Saturday, January 28, and ending on Sunday, January 29, residents are asked to follow the odd/even parking rule in residential neighborhoods. This applies from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Park on the odd-address side of the street on odd calendar days; park on the even-address side of the street on even calendar days.

• On Saturday, January 28, residents should park on the EVEN address side of the street.
• On Sunday, January 23=9, residents should park on the ODD address side of the street.

*This does not apply to emergency snow routes, parking-metered areas, or any street where the alternate side parking rule would conflict with permanently posted parking restrictions. The odd/even parking rule provides snowplow operators with enough room to plow residential areas safely and efficiently, where on-street parking is common. 

Residents and businesses are asked not to push snow from their driveways/parking lots into public streets, as this places an additional burden on City crews trying to clear the roadways and is against City code.

Winter Driving Tips:

• Do not follow plows too closely
• Reduce your speeds
• Use caution in turns
• Accelerate and brake carefully and slowly
• Leave more room between vehicles
• Increase your braking distance