State of Emergency Lifted, Parking Ban to Remain
Today, Mayor Danny Breen announced that the State of Emergency (SOE) is lifted as of 6 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25. A 24-hour parking ban outside the designated downtown remains in place.
“On behalf of Council, we thank the public for their cooperation and patience throughout this emergency. I continue to encourage residents to stay home if you can and to drive with extreme caution as we transition away from the State of Emergency,” said Mayor Danny Breen. “My biggest concern is for public safety. Although we have lifted all restrictions outside of the parking ban, many of our residential and collector streets have yet to be widened, and the sidewalks around school zones are still being worked on.”
City officials and members of City Council are in constant communication with community and government partners including the RNC, the provincial government and the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District as streets improve and decisions are made.
“Our members on patrol and traffic services are reminding motorists to drive to the conditions on the road with the low visibility and impediments due to the large volume of snow,” says RNC Constable James Cadigan. “Our community truly rallied together in the face of adversity, and as we reach the next stage of this process, we are asking for the continued support of the community.”
Motorists are asked to reduce speeds significantly, drive according to conditions, watch for pedestrians and plan ahead to allow for extra time to get to your destination.
Metrobus and GoBus will return to operations tomorrow (Saturday, Jan. 25) with multiple detours in place; please check the Metrobus website for route information. Delays are anticipated; customers are encouraged to wait in safe areas near your regular stop and motion to drivers.
From now until February 7, rides will be free for all Metrobus and GoBus users; we encourage commuters to try the bus and to leave their cars at home during this challenging period.
“Thank you to all of our municipal partners, the provincial and federal government as well as the military for their support during this emergency,” Mayor Danny Breen.