Union, NY Parking Rules: Snow Removal Parking Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Snow has fallen and accumulation covers the street
- Ban ends
- When the street is plowed by or for the Highway Department
- Streets covered
- Town streets, highways and county highways in the Town
- Alternate side exemption
- Areas where alternate side parking has been established
- Alternate side season
- November 1 to April 1 on listed streets
- Entrance signs
- Posted November 15 to April 15
Summary
Town of Union Code § 178-11 bars parking on any Town street, highway or county highway whenever snow has fallen and the accumulation covers the road, and the ban lasts until the Highway Department plows it. Violators face towing, a wheel boot or a ticket, and streets with alternate side parking are exempt. The rule covers the Town of Union outside the Villages of Endicott and Johnson City.
No owner or operator of a motor vehicle shall park, or leave unattended, any vehicle on any Town street, highway or county highway within the Town of Union whenever snow has fallen, and the accumulation covers the streets or highways. For the purposes of this article, snow-covered streets or highways shall constitute a "snow emergency." The parking prohibitions under this section shall remain in effect until said streets or highways have been plowed by, or in the direction of the Highway Department of the Town of Union. ... A. Motor vehicles in violation of this article may be towed and impounded or immobilized with a wheel boot by or at the direction of the Highway Superintendent, a Town code enforcement official, or their designee. Impounded vehicles will remain so until reasonable towing and storage fees are paid. ... C. The provisions of this article shall not be applicable to areas of the Town of Union where alternate side of the street parking has been established. In such areas, motor vehicles may remain on the side of the street where parking is authorized despite the existence of a snow emergency as such term is defined in this article.
Full Breakdown
Article III of Chapter 178 was adopted March 19, 2025 as L.L. No. 3-2025 and superseded the 1975 snow emergency parking law. Section 178-11 does not wait for a declaration. Snow-covered streets or highways are themselves a "snow emergency," and no owner or operator can park or leave a vehicle unattended on any Town street, highway or county highway in the Town of Union whenever snow has fallen and the accumulation covers the road. The prohibition stays in effect until the road has been plowed by, or in the direction of, the Town Highway Department.
Section 178-12A authorizes the Highway Superintendent, a Town code enforcement official, or their designee to tow and impound a vehicle or immobilize it with a wheel boot, and the vehicle stays impounded until reasonable towing and storage fees are paid. As an alternative to towing, the vehicle can be ticketed, with fines set by Town Board resolution. A driver who fails to return the ticket with a not guilty plea or to appear in court can have a not guilty plea entered in absentia by the Town Court Justice and a trial set. After written notice of trial and a default, the Town Attorney can elect a civil judgment of default that includes the fine and court costs, which the Town Court can transcript to the Broome County Clerk.
Section 178-12C exempts areas where alternate side of the street parking has been established, and vehicles there stay on the authorized side despite a snow emergency. Under § 191-19 alternate side parking runs from November 1 to April 1 on Alice Avenue, Barteau Street (Moore Street East to dead end), Leona Street and Seward Avenue. Section 178-13 has the Highway Superintendent maintain signage at main entrances to the Town from November 15 to April 15 reading "No Parking on Town Streets, Town Highways and County Highways Within the Town of Union When Roads Are Snow Covered Until Plowed." A parallel rule in § 178-14, amended November 5, 2025 by L.L. No. 7-2025, and in § 191-24, amended December 3, 2025 by L.L. No. 8-2025, repeats the snow-covered road ban.
Violations & Fines
A vehicle parked on a snow-covered Town street can be towed and impounded or immobilized with a wheel boot, and it stays held until reasonable towing and storage fees are paid. Instead of towing, it can be ticketed, with the fine set by Town Board resolution; the chapter prints no dollar amount. Ignoring the ticket can lead to a not guilty plea entered in absentia, a trial in Town Court, and a civil default judgment transcripted to the Broome County Clerk.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Town of Union snow emergency in effect?
Can my car be towed during a snow emergency?
Which streets use alternate side parking in the Town of Union?
How much is the snow emergency parking ticket?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Union
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