Pay close attention to where you park
Ways you can avoid being towed in Alaska
Tips for finding parking in Alaska
Conclusion
Pay close attention to where you park
Just like anywhere else, the most simple rule when it comes to avoiding being towed in Alaska is to pay close attention to where you are parking. Watch for things like signs and colored lines that stipulate a space may be handicapped parking only or for loading and unloading only.
This can get a bit more difficult when you are dealing with inclement winter weather. Signs can become more difficult to read and lines on the street can become nearly impossible to see. In this case, your best bet is to stay home and avoid driving altogether. However, if that is not a possibility, you can park briefly nearly anywhere. Once you have parked, take a quick look around and clear the snow off of any nearby signs if possible. Odds are you will not get towed if you are only parked for a few brief moments. Although, be careful that you do not block the progress of any snowplows, that is an easy way to get towed. So, try to stay off the roads during those times.
Ways you can avoid being towed in Alaska
In general, there are several simple ways for you to avoid being towed in Alaska.
- Always pay close attention – This has already been mentioned but it is important enough to mention again, you need to read all the signs in the area that you are parking before you commit to leaving your car there. Also, make sure the lines on the street are not painted any special colors.
- Feed the meter – If you park next to a meter, make sure that you put money in and also that you pay attention to how much time you have bought yourself. You will need to either head back to your car and put more money in the meter or move your car before the meter expires.
- Keep an eye on the clock – If you park in a space that says parking is limited to a certain period of time such as twenty minutes or a hour as well as spaces with signs that say parking is only allowed in-between certain hours, you will need to make sure that you move your car when time is up. You might ask “How can someone enforce hour-long parking without a meter of some kind?” Well, parking enforcement officers will take a piece of chalk, mark your tires, then come back a little over an hour later. Your best bet is to set some sort of alarm on your phone for when it is time to move your vehicle.
- Avoid parking on the side of unplowed roads – We have mentioned this briefly already, but an easy way to get towed is by impeding the progress of snowplows during a storm. So be sure that you only park on the sides of streets that are already plowed.
- Have a roadside assistance plan – In case your car breaks down or gets stuck out on the road during a storm or even in general, you should have a membership for a roadside assistance plan. By paying a small monthly fee every month you can avoid having to pay the extremely high fee of getting your car towed by an independent truck. You additionally will receive a bunch of other benefits as well with membership in one of these programs.
Tips for finding parking in Alaska
Alaska does not have a very high population, but the population density is fairly high in Anchorage which means that in a small area there are a pretty high number of people for a pretty small area. In areas like this, parking can sometimes be tough to come by in Alaska. You can use the following tips to find parking in Alaska:
- Be ready to pay – In the more crowded areas like Anchorage, there are a bunch of premium options for parking, but some can get pricey. Always think and plan ahead if you are going to be driving around an area like Anchorage. You can find some paid options for parking by downloading the EasyPark app.
- Walk or take taxis during the day – In city areas like Anchorage, there is little to no parking during the day. You should walk to your destination if the weather is not too bad and it is not too far of a walk. If that is not the case, then you can always call a taxi or use a ride-share service such as Uber.
- Ask your hotel about their parking – Some hotels will charge an additional fee for parking there. We do not recommend using that option. If you are visiting and will be staying at a hotel, be sure that you stay at one that provides free parking as a part of your booking.
- Parking during or immediately after it snows can be more difficult – If it snows, much of the parking on the side streets of Alaska might become unavailable. So, we recommend that you wait at least half a day after any considerable snowfall to go out driving.
Conclusion
Parking in Alaska can get tricky because of weather, parking regulations and some crowded city areas. It is critically important that you pay very close attention to where you are parking because you could possibly get ticketed or even towed. You will likely need to pay for parking in areas such as Anchorage, so consider taking cabs in areas like that or even walking if at all possible. If you are moving to Alaska or going there for an extended stay, you can always have your car shipped there.
