Written by Mark H. Anbinder
Mayor Svante Myrick announced on Tuesday afternoon that the City of Ithaca is suspending its long-derided seasonal Odd-Even Parking regulations, hours before the policy would go into effect at midnight. The development is thanks to the implementation of Tompkins County’s new Swift911 system.
“Thanks to a partnership with Tompkins County, we now have Swift911, a service that will send you text messages, emails and phone calls during emergencies,” the Mayor said on Facebook. “When we have snow on the way we will activate Odd/Even parking. When we’ve cleared the streets we will turn it back off.”
The change depends on area residents signing up for Swift911’s emergency notification service, Mayor Myrick says. “If people sign up we can do away with odd/even forever. If people don’t sign up we will need to go back to the old system.”
The law will remain on the books, and thus can still be enforced in the event of snowfall that needs clearing. “We’ll end up giving fewer tickets, and you won’t have to move your car every night,” the Mayor says.
More details in the original Odd/Even Parking article on 14850.com.