Sleigh Bells Ring

SNOW ROUTES AND YOU
by Kasandra DeFrieze

Monmouth, IL - It's never a bad idea to be thinking this early in the year about driving and parking on snowy streets. The Monmouth City Council began discussing that issue this week, and Monmouth College students need to start thinking about it as well.

Two or more inches of snow on the roads mean inconvenient parking for Monmouth College Students. The city’s snow routes forbid parking on certain streets during these conditions. At the City Council Meeting last week, Alderman Bob Wells proposed the addition of more streets to be added to the snow routes this winter.

City officials believe Monmouth College students receive more parking tickets than the rest of the population. During the snowy season, parking tickets and inconvenient walking conditions make the months of December and January the most stressful for Monmouth College students. During circumstances of two or more inches of snow on the roads, students are not allowed to park their cars on certain streets surrounding the college. These roads make up the city snow routes where parking is forbidden.

Snow route violtions cost $50. The snow route affecting Monmouth College students most is D Street from 11th Avenue to Broadway and 1st Street from 2nd Avenue to Boston. Most cars seen parking on these streets belong to Monmouth College students, so students are the prime candidates for tickets during the snowy season.


Eric Hanson, City Administrator, claims the problem rests in inadequate communication of information. “You’re coming into a town and you’re not familiar with all of our city ordinances so a lot of it is just not knowing,” Hanson said. “However, it is posted; the information is out there.”

Many college students are familiar with the colorful windshield decoration of parking tickets during the winter months. Better communication for Monmouth College students could help solve this problem. “I am quite confused on the snow routes,” Junior Shara Welter said. “I think the school should send a little reminder out once it gets closer to the winter months . . .We see a lot of the same people during that time,” Hanson said. “Some people say they didn’t know and (psy), but some also get multiple accounts just because they don’t want to pay. It’s an expensive lesson to learn.”

The proposition for changing snow routes will be discussed further at the next city council meeting. The new snow routes may include: East Ninth Avenue from South Sixth to Main Street; East Third Avenue also from South Sixth to Main Street; Second Avenue from South Main to D Street; Archer Avenue from North Main to North B Street.