Grand Rapids odd-even parking starts Sunday, Nov. 1: which side to park on, the three nights you won’t have to move, and what a ticket costs

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids’ seasonal parking rules take effect at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, on neighborhood streets with odd-even or same-side signs, and the city starts enforcing them whether or not there is snow on the ground.

The restrictions give street sweepers and snowplows room to clear leaves, branches and snow, and keep one lane open for residents, emergency crews and city trucks. They stay in effect until 11:59 p.m. Thursday, April 1, 2027.

“We need the community’s help as we work to clear streets of leaves and other tree debris that naturally fall into the road,” Public Works Director John Gorney said in the city’s announcement. Following the rules, he said, “ensures we don’t have flooded streets this winter due to clogged catch basins.”

Which side, and when

On streets with odd-even signs, the rule follows the date. On an odd-numbered date, from 1 a.m. to 6 p.m., park on the side of the street with odd-numbered addresses. On an even date, park on the even side. From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., cars may park on either side, as long as they are on the side that matches the next day’s date by 1 a.m.

That means Nov. 1, an odd date, is the first test: a car left overnight Saturday on the even-numbered side would need to move to the odd side by 1 a.m. Sunday. The switch then repeats every night.

By our count of the calendar, there are three nights this season when cars on the odd side can stay put, because the date goes from the 31st to the 1st and both are odd: Dec. 31 into Jan. 1, Jan. 31 into Feb. 1 and March 31 into April 1. Every other night requires a move, including Feb. 28 into March 1, since 2027 is not a leap year.

Streets with same-side signs work differently. Parking is banned all season on the posted side, and on some of the narrowest streets there may be no parking at all.

What a ticket costs

Cars parked against the rules can be ticketed $20, the city says. Grand Rapids parking fines must be paid within 10 calendar days; after that the fine doubles, and it triples after 90 days, according to the city treasurer’s office, which runs the Parking Violations Bureau. Tickets can be paid online through GRPayIt with no card fee, by mail or at City Hall, and can be disputed within 30 days.

Residents can report a car parked on the wrong side through the grcity 311 app, the city’s Report an Issue page, or by calling 311 or 616-456-3000. Anyone who thinks their street should gain, lose or change restrictions can ask the city to review it; the city’s seasonal parking page has the request form and a map of restricted streets.

Sources:
City of Grand Rapids, “Seasonal parking rules begin Sunday, Nov. 1 on many neighborhood streets” (Oct. 19, 2026), https://www.grandrapidsmi.gov/city-news/posts/seasonal-parking-rules-begin-sunday-nov-1-on-many-neighborhood-streets/
City of Grand Rapids, Odd-Even and One-Side Seasonal Parking Restrictions, https://www.grandrapidsmi.gov/departments/public-works/street-maintenance/odd-even-and-one-side-seasonal-parking-restrictions/
City of Grand Rapids, Parking Violation Fees and Policies, https://www.grandrapidsmi.gov/departments/mobile-gr/parking/parking-violation-fees-and-policies/
Photo: Grand Rapids April 2022, WMrapids, Wikimedia Commons (CC0), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grand_Rapids_April_2022.jpg

Grand Rapids

Tags: Grand Rapids · Odd-even parking · Seasonal parking · Winter parking · Snow plowing · Parking tickets