During its virtual meeting May 4, North Catasauqua Borough Council approved a new ordinance that made some changes to parking and traffic practices in the borough.

The new ordinance, which has been discussed at borough council meetings for the past several months, updates and compiles several existing parking and traffic ordinances that have been on the books for years. Putting it all under one ordinance will make it easier for residents to track down parking laws in the public record.

According to borough council President Peter Paone, this ordinance will also bring the borough up to speed with modern laws and will conform to standards in other nearby municipalities.

One such standard is the declaration of an official snow emergency route in North Catasauqua. In the event of a snow emergency, parking on one or both sides of some roads in the borough will be restricted to make room for emergency vehicles. Such a route has existed in Catasauqua Borough for some time, but not in North Catasauqua.

Borough officials developed the North Catasauqua snow emergency route with the help of the police, fire and emergency management departments last year, but it was not implemented until now.

Paone said the chosen route was their best attempt to “not unduly burden citizens,” citing their awareness that parking is already a challenge in the southeastern part of the borough.

Parking restrictions for the snow emergency route are as follows: “Front Street from the borough line to Second Street, south side only. Eugene Street from Bridge Street to Cypress Street, south side only. Cypress Street from Third Street to Grove Street, west side only. Grove Street from Main Street to American Street, both sides. Arch Street from Front Street to Grove Street, south side only. Howertown Road from borough line to borough line, both sides. Fourth Street from Main Street to the borough line, west side only. Wyandotte Street from Howertown Road to Main Street, both sides. Lincoln Avenue from Grove Street to the borough line, both sides. Main Street from the borough line to Fourth Street, both sides.”

A map of the snow emergency route will soon be shared on the borough’s website.

The ordinance also incorporates two existing parking restrictions - the permanent restriction on parking on the west side of Howertown Road between Grove and Liberty streets and the seasonal restriction on both sides of Grove Street between Witt and Culver streets from March 1 to Nov. 1.