The City of Eau Claire’s winter parking rules have gone back to the future. For the past five years, alternate-side parking has only been in effect when the city’s Community Services Department announced a “snow event” – something that happened frequently during last winter’s Snowpocalypse. However, the City Council voted Oct. 8 to revert to the old alternate-side parking rules. To refresh your memory, this means that from midnight to 7am between Nov. 1 and May 1, vehicles will have to be parked on the odd-numbered side of the street on odd-numbered days and the even-numbered side of the street on even-numbered days. (If you park your car before midnight, remember consider the following day’s date.) Supporters of the change, which was approved on a vote of 8-1, say it will help ensure safer streets and allow snowplows to more adequately clear streets when it snows. Last winter, some narrow city streets became nearly impassable because of huge snowbanks. In a memo to the City Council, city staff members said the recently repealed rules made clearing the streets difficult for snowplows and also drew complains from members of the public who were ticketed or had cars towed because they were unaware a snow emergency had been declared. Beginning Nov. 1, motorists who violate the alternate-side parking rule will be subject to a $30 fine.