(Scroll to the bottom of the page to view a copy of the Traffic Regulations.)
The Winchester Overnight Parking Ban is found on page 19 of the Town of Winchester Traffic Regulations, which were adopted in July of 1936.
Outdated Rules
The outdated Traffic Regulations include references to the following:
- Manually-controlled traffic lights
- Herding animals through the streets
- Horse-drawn vehicles
- Establishing temporary quiet zones around buildings for sick people
- House calls by doctors and clergy attending to the sick
The overnight parking ban was instituted at a time when vehicles were hard to spot at night, and thus it was dangerous to park them on the street. Since the Winchester Traffic Regulations were established, updated safety standards (at the state and federal levels) have been implemented, such as:
- Standards for vehicle headlights
- Mandatory rear reflectors
- Reflexive License Plates
In short, it is no longer a public safety issue for vehicles to be parked on roads at night. As a result, most towns no longer enforce year-round parking bans.
The Parking Ban
The overnight parking ban is found on page 19 of the parking regulations and states:
NIGHT PARKING PROHIBITED
–NO vehicles except those of physicians, nurses or clergymen while in actual attendance upon the sick, shall be parked on any street for a period of time longer than one (1) hour between the hours of 1 o’clock a.m. and 7 o’clock a.m. of any given day.
View/Download
Until 2024, the only way to read these regulations was to go to the town hall and ask for a paper copy. For transparency purposes, I am providing a digital copy below.
