Last modified: Friday, October 5, 2007 12:42 AM EDT Winter parking ban to end? BY GEORGE W. RHODES SUN CHRONICLE STAFF ATTLEBORO - With the annual winter ban on overnight street parking less than two months away, one city councilor said it might be time to scrap the law that sends many drivers scrambling to find rare off-street parking or risk a ticket. Ward 1 Councilor Jim Hanley asked that the measure be reviewed, arguing that increasingly accurate weather-forecasting methods, coupled with multiple communications options, make the ordinance obsolete. Forcing residents to stay off the street on many snowless nights creates an unnecessary burden when there are easy ways to publicize a temporary ban during snowy nights, he said. "This ordinance is really antiquated, and for many residents, it results in tickets for parking overnight," he said. The ban runs from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. every night from Dec. 1 through March 31. Councilor Walter Thibodeau, chairman of the transportation and traffic committee, said the ordinance has been reviewed periodically, but usually public safety and public works officials prefer to keep motor vehicles off the streets in the winter to keep the way clear for emergency vehicles, and to make plowing easier. Public Works Superintendent John Clover said the ban is also meant to help his workers remove "black ice," which is less predictable. "It's not just snow we're concerned about, it's black ice also," he said. "If cars are parked on one or both sides of the street, treatment methods are ineffective." Parking Administrator Joan Higgins said the ban results in numerous violations. "There are many people who get many tickets," she said. "There's just no place to park." Tickets result in $10 fines per incident. The matter was referred to Thibodeau's committee and the city's traffic study commission for a recommendation. GEORGE W. RHODES can be reached at 508-236-0432 or at grhodes@thesunchronicle.com.