The city public works director Monday proposed adding snow emergency parking prohibitions on a collection of blocks where streets are especially narrow, making it hard for plow drivers to get through.

Those sections — some as short as one block — generate many complaints, because they’re impossible for bigger, more efficient, plow trucks that hold lots of salt, so they get plowed only after those big trucks are done, freeing drivers to take out small trucks that will fit, Nate Kissell told City Council.

The parking prohibition would help get those narrow streets plowed and salted faster, reducing complaints and plow truck accidents and making it easier for fire trucks to get through — though not without creating hassles for residents, who would need to find other parking places for a couple days, according to Kissell.

People might have “to take the good with the bad,” Kissell said. “Is the juice worth the squeeze?”

It would be especially hard on people with disabilities — although there are few handicapped parking signs in the areas proposed for change, Kissell said.

Enforcement would probably require towing, which is not ideal for the city, Kissell said.

The city could create a special category of snow emergency route for those narrow streets, which are not as critical to keep clear as are the regular snow emergency routes on major thoroughfares, Kissell said.

Four or more inches of snow in 48 hours could trigger the parking prohibition, Kissell said.

Some of the streets are as narrow as 22 feet, Kissell said.

Such places “give our crews fits,” he said.

They’re especially problematic when drivers get partway down a block — sometimes downhill — only to find they can’t get through or can barely squeeze by, Kissell said.

Either backing up or going forward can easily result in knocking off a mirror, he said.

The police handle plow truck accidents — although there aren’t many, given the difficulties the drivers face, said Police Chief Joe Merrill.

It doesn’t help that the city was laid out before cars were common or that families nowadays have multiple cars, Kissell said.

The number of vehicles are growing, even as the population declines, said Councilman Bruce Kelley.

Before any decision, the city will need to give residents of those areas plenty of opportunity for comment, said Councilman Dave Butterbaugh.

The last time the city declared a snow emergency was in 2010, officials said.

“We’ve really been lucky,” Kelley said. “But we’re going to get hammered sometime.”

His proposal is “a baby step,” Kissell said.

“It’s not going to be without some headaches,” Kelley said.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.