The dawn of another winter means Kenosha motorists need to start switching their parking patterns.

Alternate-side parking regulations will go into effect in the city of Kenosha at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1.

Motorists that park on the street are required to put their vehicles on the odd side of the street from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. on odd-numbered calendar days starting Dec. 1 and ending March 31. Drivers also need to park on the even-numbered side of the street on even-numbered calendar days during that same time frame.

Kenosha Police Sgt. Hugh Rafferty said the police department issued 9,975 tickets for alternate-side parking violations last winter. That number is about 400 fewer than in the winter of 2007-2008. Rafferty said the enforcement is conducted by police officers during their normal shift hours.

The fine for violating these regulations is a $20 ticket.

The parking policy is intended to clear one side of the street for city street operations.

“The main reason is so our trucks can fit through the streets in minor snowfalls,” John Prijic, the city’s superintendent of streets, said. “Even if one inch of snow falls, we still have to salt all of the stop signs, which are scattered all over the residential streets. Our trucks need to drive with the flow of traffic and salt them properly.”

Alternate-side parking also assists the city’s plows get around town, Prijic said.

“The wing on a plow alone is 10-feet wide and it is rough to plow some of these roads,” Prijic said. “And there are a lot of cars on city streets at any given time.”

Having room for street operations is even important before the first snow falls, Prijic said.

“If it doesn’t snow, it’s going to help, because we are going to continue to sweep the streets until it is frozen,” Prijic said. “It is far more difficult to clean the streets well when we are swerving in and out between parked cars. If one side of the street is clear, we can make one pass and the street is done.”

The city’s snow routes also activate at the start of winter. Vehicles are prohibited from parking on streets with posted snow routes when two or more inches of snow has fallen. Violations of this parking regulation start at $25.

No vehicles can park on city streets when a snow emergency is declared, typically after four or more inches of snow has fallen. The city must provide a two-hour notice before enacting those regulations through announcements with the Kenosha News, WLIP (1050 AM) and Time Warner Cable. A violation of snow emergency regulations brings a $25 fine as well.