ST PAUL, Minn. — The value of an on-street parking spot in St. Paul is about to take a significant jump, after the announcement that there will be half as many come Friday.
Mayor Melvin Carter announced that with yet another snow event approaching this weekend, city leaders have no choice but to implement one-sided parking restrictions. Starting March 10 at 8 a.m. through April 15, residents are banned from parking on even-numbered sides of streets, which are typically the south and east sides. Those who do run the risk of being ticketed and towed.
If the weather warms and prompts a quick melt the temporary parking rules could end early.
"The goal of this is to make sure we can get a fire truck to your house, to make sure we can get an ambulance to your business if we need to do that," Carter said.
At a press conference Wednesday, Carter emphasized that St. Paul has received 75 inches of snow this winter, significantly more than in an average year. Dealing with it has taxed public works crews, first responders and average citizens who are struggling to keep their driveways and sidewalks clear.
"It's time," Public Works Director Sean Kershaw said. "We've done everything we can this snow season to avoid calling a parking ban. It is time to do that now to ensure our streets are safe and passable, for the fire rigs you see behind us and emergency vehicles.
Fire Chief Butch Inks explained that his department's fire trucks are between eight and 10 feet wide, and eliminating parking on one side of a residential street can give emergency vehicles an additional six to eight feet of clearance to reach someone who needs help.
If you have questions about where to park your vehicle, simply log on to the St. Paul website for more information.
St. Paul joins Minneapolis, which instituted its one-side parking policy on Jan. 26 due to the volume of snow this year, and the inability to convince residents to proactively move their cars. The policy was enacted in part to ensure emergency vehicles and school buses could pass through streets that have become clogged and overrun with snow.
City leaders say the one-sided parking will stay in effect until April 1 unless the weather warms up and melts enough snow and ice that they feel comfortable ending restrictions early.
Before late January, the last time Minneapolis activated one-sided parking was 2019.
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