How difficult is it to park in Alaska?
Where you can find parking in Alaska
Parking in the snow
Conclusion
How difficult is it to park in Alaska?
In general, parking is never too difficult in Alaska. The population is fairly low, so overcrowding does not contribute to any sort of parking issues. However, the weather can occasionally play a factor in how difficult it is to find parking.
Snow can make off-street parking in Alaska very difficult in the days after a bigger storm. So, you should be prepared during the winter months to have to spend some time to find a space to park.
You should also be aware that even during periods where there is not any snow on the streets that normal parking regulations should always be observed and obeyed such as laws regarding municipal parking.
Where you can find parking in Alaska
You can usually find parking in various areas in Alaska on the street. However, in areas such as Anchorage where the population is higher, parking can get a bit more complex. Parking in Alaska is at its worst when there is a major snowstorm (as happens fairly frequently in the winter months).
As far as parking laws, these are set at the city and town level in Alaska. So, not only are these laws not statewide, the vast majority of them are not even county-wide. Most of these laws tend to be pretty typical and similar to each other though. Do not park in a handicapped space unless you are handicapped, do not park in loading zones etc.
The biggest law to keep in mind in more populated city areas such as Anchorage is that you cannot park on the street or in any municipal area for more than twenty-four hours. This is enforced by traffic police possibly putting a stripe on your tire with chalk or temporary paint down to the pavement of the street or garage.
If they come back the next day and see that your car has not moved because the stripe still lines up with the pavement, they can ticket and/or tow your vehicle. The point is that you can park on the street or in the municipal garages in these areas, you just need to move your car each day.
You can also find parking in public garages in larger, more incorporated areas, like the city of Anchorage. You can also always try looking on sites such as craigslist for someone willing to rent a private spot near their home. You could also post your own ad seeking a spot there as well. The price that you will end up paying will vary based on location and demand.
Parking in the snow
Finding parking in a legal spot is not always easy when there is a considerable amount of snow on the ground. This is especially true in an area like Alaska where it snows fairly heavily and often.
In order to find a place to park when there is snow you can:
- Be patient – Wait until the plows get to work and start clearing snow from streets. If you clear out a spot and park there before the plows come, you could end up getting blocked in by a wall of snow and will need to clear out your spot all over again.
- Keep a shovel in your car – By keeping a shovel in your car, you can quickly jump out of the car and clear a space when you find one.
- Make sure that you are not parked in a way that prevents plows from getting down a street – If your car is parked in a way that prevents plows from getting down a particular street, you will likely end up getting towed.
- Be sure you do not park along a snow emergency route – When you see the blue signs along a road that say snow emergency route, be sure that you do not park along the side of those roads during a snowstorm. If you do it is likely that your car will be towed away.
- Consider a garage – If you do not have a garage of your own to park in, consider making use of a public garage. There are several in Alaska including .
Conclusion
Parking in Alaska is generally easier than most places due to a considerably lower population. You usually just need to make sure that you are aware of all local parking ordinances.
However, when it snows a lot parking can get fairly tricky in Alaska. Just be sure that you sit tight and wait for the plows to do their job. Parking will be easier once they do because you will be able to take your shovel and clear out a spot without having to worry that a plow will block you in with snow.
If you have a vehicle somewhere else in the country that you think would be better for driving and/or parking in the snow, you can ship it to Alaska. Just give the experts at Alaska Car Transport a call today at (907) 331-3100!
