Travel
What to know about interstate, local travel around Erie during lake-effect snow event
Looking ahead: Snow blanketing the Upper Midwest and Northeast
AccuWeather’s Joe Lundberg looks ahead as rounds of snowfall are forecast to blanket the Upper Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States.
- The City of Erie is under a snow emergency, limiting travel to essential personnel and emergencies.
- Millcreek Township declared a snow and ice emergency, prioritizing designated snow emergency routes and urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel.
- Interstates 79, 86, and 90 are under Tier 2 vehicle restrictions, prohibiting certain vehicles.
The lake-effect snow that’s deluged Erie County and nearby areas for the past two days has led to a series of varying travel restrictions and guidelines. Here is the latest information around the region as of 8 a.m. Sunday.
City of Erie travel
The City of Erie earlier declared a snow emergency. Travel in the city is limited to emergency response personnel, essential employees and medical emergencies until further notice.
Residents who park on streets should park on the north or west side of the street on Sunday to abide odd-even parking regulations. On Monday, an even day, parking will be on the south or east side of streets. Cul-de-sac residents should park in their driveways. Where there is no odd-even parking, the city asks residents to park all on the same side of the street to allow room for a plow.
Odd-even winter parking regulations went into effect Nov. 1. The emergency declaration extends the weekday guidelines to allow emergency plowing operation.
The city in a Saturday Facebook post indicated Erie police are not actively ticketing wrong-side parkers. “However, if a vehicle is abandoned in the middle of the roadway, and blocking emergency vehicles or plows, the city will have to ticket and tow it in order to clear the street. If your car is stranded in the middle of the road, city officials recommend that you call a tow truck to try to get your vehicle home or to a safe place so plows and emergency crews can do what they need to do to clear pathways while there is a lull in the storm. Thank you for your cooperation and please stay safe.”
The Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority shuttered operations Friday at 6 p.m. and did not run fixed or LIFT routes Saturday. EMTA does not operate on Sundays, and anticipates resuming service Monday.
Millcreek Township travel
Millcreek Township on Saturday declared a snow and ice emergency that prioritizes designated snow emergency routes
“It is unlawful, at any time during the continuance of the emergency, for any person to park a motor vehicle or to allow that vehicle to remain parked anywhere on any snow emergency route designated pursuant to this article; or to drive any motor vehicle on any such snow emergency route unless that vehicle is equipped with snow tires or chains,” according to Millcreek ordinance.
The township said in a news release that Millcreek police, the animal resource-code enforcement officer, and any other designated code enforcement personnel may enforce the emergency declaration.
Millcreek emergency routes in the township are
- 23rd Street, from Pittsburgh Avenue to Peninsula Drive;
- 32nd Street, from Pittsburgh Avenue to Caughey Road;
- 54th Street, from Peach Street to Mill Street;
- Arbuckle Road, from Route 97 to Lake Pleasant Road;
- Asbury Road, from south of West 26th Street to Old Sterrettania Road;
- Caughey Road;
- Cherry Street, from Edgevale Drive to Young Road;
- Colonial Avenue, from 26th Street to Sterrettania Road;
- Edgevale Drive, from Cherry Street to Mill Street; and
- Lancaster Road, from 38th Street to Zimmerly Road.
State roads on Millcreek’s emergency route list are
- Asbury Road, from 12th Street to the south line of West 38th Street;
- Cherry Street Extension, from Hickory Hill Boulevard to south township line;
- East Gore Road, from Old French Road to Route 8;
- Edinboro Road, from Interchange Road to township line;
- Grubb Road, from Sterrettania Road to township line; and
- Hershey Road.
Additional township roads that are emergency routes are
- Legion Road, from 26th Street to 32nd Street;
- Love Road, from Sterrettania Road to Zimmerly Road;
- McKee Road, from 26th Street to 38th Street;
- Millfair Road, from the south line of 38th Street to township line;
- Old Zuck Road, from West Grandview Boulevard to Zimmerly Road;
- Powell Avenue, 20th Street, and Marshall Drive, from West 12th Street to West 26th Street;
- West Sixth Street, from Pittsburgh Avenue to West Lake Road;
- West Gore Road, from Wood Street to West Street;
- West Grandview Boulevard, from Zuck Road to Old Zuck Road;
- Washington Avenue, from West Grandview Boulevard to Kuntz Road;
- Young Road, from Cherry Street to Route 505; and
- Zimmerly Road, from West Street to Peach Street.
Additional state roads in the township on emergency routes are
- Interchange Road, from Zimmerly Road to Peach Street;
- Kuntz Road, from Peach Street to South Hill Road;
- Lake Pleasant Road;
- Millfair Road, from West Lake Road to the south line of West 38th Street;
- Norcross Road, from Route 8 to east township line;
- Old French Road;
- Peach Street;
- Peninsula Drive, from West 26th Street to northern township line;
- Perry Highway;
- Pittsburgh Avenue, from West Eighth Street to West 38th Street;
- Powell Avenue, from West Lake Road to southern terminus of Powell;
- Route 8/Wattsburg Road;
- West Eighth Street;
- West 12th Street;
- West 26th Street/West Ridge Road;
- West 38th Street; and
- West Grandview Boulevard, from Zuck Road to Peach Street.
Interstates 79, 86, 90 conditions
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation on Sunday morning temporarily reduced the speed limit to 45 miles per hour on Interstate 90 from Interstate 79 to the New York state line and Interstate 86 from the New York line to I-90.
Additionally, stretches of all three interstates remained under Tier 2 vehicle restrictions:
- I-90, westbound from the Ohio state line to the New York state line;
- I-90, eastbound from the Ohio state line to I-86;
- I-86, from I-90 to the New York state line; and
- I-79, from Exit 147 to the terminus in Erie County.
Under Tier 2 guidelines, these vehicles are not permitted:
- tractors without trailers;
- tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded enclosed trailers, open trailers or tank trailers;
- tractors towing loaded tandem trailers unless there are chains or another approved Alternate Traction Device on board.
- enclosed unloaded or lightly loaded cargo delivery trucks/box trucks that meet the definition of a CMV;
- passenger vehicles (cars, SUV’s, pickup trucks, etc.) towing trailers;
- recreational vehicles/motorhomes;
- school buses, commercial buses and motor coaches, and
- motorcycles.
I-90 from I-86 to the New York state line remains under a Tier 4 restriction, meaning all commercial vehicles are prohibited. Additionally, all school buses, commercial buses, motor coaches, motorcycles, RVs/motorhomes and passenger vehicles (cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, etc.) towing trailers are not permitted while restrictions are in place.
State routes 531, 5 and 955 have reopened to traffic.
The New York State Thruway Authority has temporarily banned all commercial vehicles from I-90 in both directions from the Pennsylvania line to Exit 46 (Rochester/Corning/Interstate 390).
Stay up to date on Erie-area weather
Return to GoErie.com for updates. Get the latest AccuWeather forecast details and radar images for your ZIP code at goerie.com/weather. Download the GoErie app for iOS or Android for mobile-friendly forecasts. Tour Erie-area conditions by webcams.
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