(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago drivers are waking up to the first day of enforcement of the city’s overnight winter parking ban.
It may not feel charitable, but the city actually gave drivers a break. Usually towing starts Dec. 1.
Those trucks that were not active Sunday, have been pulling cars into the pound in Humboldt Park off Sacramento Boulevard near Ohio Street every few minutes throughout Monday morning.
Murel Williams feared the worst when she couldn’t find her car where she parked it at Pratt and Clark in Rogers Park.
“I didn't go anywhere yesterday. Woke up this morning, you know, on my way to work is normal and didn't see my car. I was thinking like, ‘no, my car has not been stolen. I hope it has not been stolen.’”
It was not stolen but towed here to one of the city’s pound lots, along with others that had been left along 107 miles of major streets between 3 - 7 a.m..
“It's Chicago. That's one of the parts of living here, but I love it. So it's all worth it,” Callie Sands said.
Sands was giving herself that little pep talk after picking up her car here at pound number six. She and other drivers we spoke to say they need their vehicles to get to work.
However, for Uber driver Ousmle Sylla, his car is his office.
“I really need my car, because I do everything by my car. My car gives me everything, because it is the only job I can do right now,” Sylla said.
Chicago Streets and Sanitation had crews put flyers on cars, warning that towing would resume. Those flyers were put out because of the holiday.
There were 244 cars towed beginning at 3 a.m. Monday for violating the city’s winter overnight parking ban, according to a Department of Streets and Sanitation spokesperson.
Last year, 263 vehicles were towed on the first day of enforcement.
The ban is in effect through April 1 whether there is snow on the ground or not.
Drivers will get hit with a fine of at least $235 and should be able to find their cars here at 701 N. Sacramento Ave. or near Doty and Stony Island avenues.
To check if a car was towed, visit chicagoshovels.org or call 311.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
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