Open Letter: Buffalo Is Awful at Winter Parking

I've lived in Buffalo my entire life. I grew up in North Amherst near Wheatfield, and spent time in Cheektowaga and Hamburg. I now live in South Buffalo.

Over the years, I've spent a lot of time in the cold and snow. If you have spent enough time in Western New York, then you learn how to drive in the snow. It's something we do all the time, and Buffalonians have become experts really, when it comes to winter driving skills.

I actually find it fun in a weird way to drive in the snow. Obviously, lake effect snow bands -- those are not fun at all to drive through, since you can't see far in front of you, but snow driving can be something that makes me happy in a weird way.

However, as great as Buffalo is at winter driving, I hate to say it, but we are very bad at winter parking.

What exactly is winter parking?

Winter parking is essentially how someone parks their vehicle when it snows. There are many things that go into winter parking, and the number one variable is whether or not the street or parking lot is plowed or plowed properly.

Sometimes, there are snow banks and ice patches blocking the parking line, but even with parking lines visibly shows in the snow, too many times vehicles are parked wherever they want. It's almost like the winter gives some people an excuse to park anyway they choose.

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Street parking is even worse.

If you live on a street that has alternate parking, you are at the mercy of people's parking jobs. Every year, there are those vehicles that are parked in front of a crosswalk or opening in the sidewalk, preventing people from getting to their sidewalk.

Or, a personal favorite, the vehicles that are parked in a way that does not allow anyone enough room to park in front, or behind them. That means less parking spaces on the street and parking much further away from your home.

The winter is easily, head and shoulders, the worst season to find parking in Buffalo. It isn't even close. It's almost as if the snow and ice gives people a reason to park without rules or a care in the world.

Yes, we are great at winter driving in Western New York, but are very bad at winter parking.