Moving one’s vehicle during a seasonal parking ban can be a hassle for Edmonton residents who don’t have any option but to park on the street — but it’s especially taxing for those who are disabled and have limited mobility or funds.
After being in a coma four years ago, Sarah Leyte came out of it with nerve damage to her back that makes walking for an extended period of time a struggle.
“It puts me in a lot of pain and potentially end up in the hospital for pain management issues,” the Rundle Heights resident said.
Leyte is on Alberta’s Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) and has a handicapped placard in her vehicle. She doesn’t have parking at her home and has to leave her car on the street out front.
Normally, that’s fine — but during a residential parking ban such as the one that came into effect at 7 a.m. Tuesday and is expected to last around a week or so, Leyte’s life gets turned upside-down.
“They had the ‘no parking’ street signs on every corner in the neighbourhood, and it was a wide span all the way from Rundle Park to 50th Street, from the river to 118th Avenue,” Leyte said.
She called 311 to learn what options she had for alternative parking, and found out the closest spot the city provides is 5.6 km away from her home.
“Somebody who has a handicapped placard and mobility issues, it would be a bit of a struggle to get back home. I would have to be relying on somebody to bring me back from that parking location and I have doctor’s appointments quite frequently, so within three to five business days I would need my vehicle.
“I would have to rely on somebody to bring me back home, bring me to my vehicle, potentially take Edmonton transit — which I don’t feel safe on — or even a taxi and somebody who’s low-income, that’s not really feasible for me.”
Sarah Leyte’s car with a handicapped placard near her home in Rundle Heights, a neighbourhood in northeast Edmonton, on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.
Global News
Last year, Leyte worked with her parents to park in their driveway during a ban, but the one time she brought her car home during it, she said she got a warning from the city. She said she’s lucky to have family who can help out but not everyone has that option.
“Not everybody has family that live in and around the city who they can just say, ‘Hey, do you got a spot in your driveway?’ Or somebody who uses a walker or a wheelchair — you know, somebody who has more mobility issues than I do because I am able to walk… I just can’t walk for long periods of time.”
The only exception to not moving during a residential parking ban: if a home has accessible parking signs in front of it.
Vehicles in those accessible parking spaces, with visible placards, are not subject to the ban. Leyte is looking into it, but as of now doesn’t have that option.
Disability advocate calls on City of Edmonton to break down barriers
“I’m surprised, but not surprised,” Brad Bartko said of Leyte’s struggle. The wheelchair-bound Edmontonian is an advocate that runs Disability: Accessible by Design, a consulting agency that helps businesses become more inclusive through education and awareness.
“The city will install it for you,” Bartko said of the handicapped parking signs in front of residential properties, but added not everyone knows how to get the signs and the city doesn’t do the best job of communicating it.
“This is where it kind of gets, I guess, lost in translation a little bit.
“The city’s not very forthcoming with information — they kind of make you dig around and do your own research.”
Bartko said some people living with disabilities don’t have the means to find the information for themselves.
“You’re adding challenges when you should be making people’s lives easier — especially people with disabilities. We already have different challenges, different people face different things every day. So making our lives just a little bit easier obviously goes goes a long way.”
“This is how people just give up and they don’t worry about it, and then they deal with the consequences down the road.”
The city provides accessible parking stalls in residential neighbourhoods at no cost. The process to apply can be found on the city’s website.
FILE: Brad Bartko pictured in Edmonton on Friday December 3, 2021.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
Ward Métis city councillor Ashley Salvador acknowledged the concerns Leyte raised are valid and 5.6 km is a pretty significant distance for someone to have to travel.
Leyte knows the roads need to be cleared but life would be easier for people like her if the entire neighbourhood isn’t subject to a ban at the same time.
“I’m not sure if they could do it in smaller portions where we can park somewhere else that’s a few blocks away in the community. Or I mean, even having the alternative parking closer where it’s not 5.6 km away.
“I don’t think that’s very reasonable.”
Global News reached out to the City of Edmonton on Wednesday morning for an interview with someone from the community standards branch that could speak to the city’s parking policies. However as of publishing, the city was unable to speak to it or provide a written statement.
Bartko said the city needs to step up for its disabled residents.
“We need clear, concise communication from the city on many things. But specifically in this case, installing a sign and making sure that this lady can park in front of her house because you’re just adding more work and more barriers when you’re already telling them you potentially have to walk or wheel or whatever an extra five to six kilometres to get to your house.
“That’s ridiculous and it’s totally unnecessary.”
What are the residential parking ban rules?
The Phase 2 parking ban for residential roads began on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 7 a.m., to allow snow clearing crews to clean up neighbourhood roads.
The city said residents should watch for signage at entrances to their neighbourhood, which will indicate when their roads are scheduled to be cleared.
Individual neighbourhoods are affected for about 72 hours at a time.
Residents can view the Roadways Snow Clearing Map to see where crews are operating, which roads have been completed and view the schedule.
When signs are present, or a road is listed as “in progress” on the interactive map, the city said crews will be active in the area within 72 hours and all vehicles parked on the road must be moved.
Residents can sign up to be notified and receive email or text messages specific to their address. Notifications are sent as roadways are scheduled, in-progress and completed.
Once a neighbourhood is confirmed completed, area residents may return to parking on their roads.
The parking ban is expected to last around 10 days, depending on weather. It’s an around-the-clock operation with crews active in residential neighbourhoods Monday through Friday but the parking ban will be lifted on the weekends.
During the Phase 2 parking ban, residents can continue to park in their driveway or garage, or on any road already completed where parking is allowed normally.
Phase 2 parking bans are declared after a Phase 1 ban is complete, meaning freeways and arterial roads are dealt with.
(Editor’s Note: There is no relation between the author of this story and Brad Bartko.)