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Monday marks the beginning of winter parking regulations — primarily the start of vehicle choreography to comply with alternate-side night parking on most residential streets — in the City of Milwaukee.

Rules remain in effect through March 1, 2015, to provide Department of Public Works' plows access to more pavement for snow and ice removal, officials said.

Beware exceptions to the rules. All overnight parking is prohibited on major arterial streets and bus routes even though those streets are not posted with "no overnight parking" signs.

Also, be aware of rule changes with fine print. Residents of an existing "five-day exception parking area" on the east side just received an early Christmas present from Ald. Nik Kovac and public works officials.

Vehicles parked in the area are allowed to park on both sides of the street — up to five days without being moved — for most of the year. The area encompasses much of the Yankee Hill, Brady Street and Murray Hill neighborhoods west of N. Prospect Ave. and N. Downer Ave., from E. Wells St. northeast to E. Locust St.

This winter, those vehicle owners do not have to abide by the traditional alternate side of the street rule.

They may continue parking overnight on both sides of the street up to five days unless — here comes the fine print — public works officials announce a snowplow operation overnight.

Then they must immediately move vehicles to the correct side of the street to conform with the alternate side routine: odd side of the street on an odd-numbered day before midnight or even side of the street on an even-numbered day before midnight.

Once the public works department notifies media that a plow operation is completed, vehicles are allowed on both sides of the streets overnight until the next operation is called.

Vehicle owners in the five-day area can sign up for cellphone text messages that will alert them to an operation and another message to give them the all-clear.

The messages will be sent out through the same Snow Mobile Winter Text Alert system that notifies subscribers of a snow emergency or a "4-inch rule" snowstorm.

Sign up for alerts at this website — www.city. milwaukee.gov/mpw — and look for the Snow Mobile alert logo.

Citywide, motorists are reminded to check posted signs on streets for winter parking regulations or review the department's website — http://mpw.milwaukee.gov/ services/parking_regs — for information on the rules.

If there are no signs, residents also can call (414) 286-2489.