Lansford Borough will test new parking rules along Ridge Street to improve its snow removal operation.

Two blocks which currently have diagonal parking will change to parallel parking at all times.

Also, an overnight parking ban which was in effect on those blocks is now lifted.

“Moving to overnight parallel parking means eliminating people not parking by their homes for 4-5 storms a year,” said Jack Soberick, Lansford Police Chief.

The changes will be publicized in the coming weeks, with police planning to enforce them this winter.

Council voted Monday to temporarily change the rules for parking on the south side of two blocks: the unit block of East Ridge Street, located between Tunnel and Spring Garden streets; and the 100 block of West Ridge Street, between Coal and Center streets.

Councilman John Turcmanovich said they will decide next year whether to make it permanent.

The unit block of West Ridge Street, located between Tunnel and Coal streets, will stay under the same rules.

Soberick said parallel parking will allow the borough crew to remove more snow from the blocks than they could with diagonal parking.

He said large vehicles parking diagonally block traffic and snowplows.

The change means there will be fewer total parking spaces. Soberick estimated five lost spaces. But in exchange, the borough will lift the overnight parking ban for the affected blocks.

“Most if not all of them would fit,” Soberick said.

The borough’s snowplowing ordinance says there is no parking midnight-8 a.m. between Nov. 1 and April 1.

The changes don’t affect the rules for parking following a storm of 4-plus inches. Those rules say residents must move their cars to the even-numbered (south or west) side of the street on even-numbered days; and the odd-numbered (north or east) side of the street on odd-numbered days.

The fine for violating the ordinance is $75.