Minneapolis, St. Paul To Lift Winter Parking Bans

MINNEAPOLIS — The cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul will lift their special winter parking bans starting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

"Winter Parking Restrictions have been a critical tool for us this winter season to ensure that emergency vehicles have the ability to navigate streets narrowed by the heavy snow pack," said Minneapolis Public Works Director Margaret Anderson Kelliher in a news release.

"We thank everyone for their patience and compliance with these rules."

Minneapolis began restricting parking to one side of most neighborhood streets on Jan. 25 after recent snowfall created dangerously narrow streets, making access difficult for emergency vehicles and other cars.

The city of Saint Paul enacted its one-side parking ban on residential streets on March 10 for similar resasons.

Thanks to warmer weather and melting snow, city streets have widened.

"We realize that putting in place additional parking restrictions was a challenge for many residents who need on-street parking," said Sean Kershaw, Director of Public Works for Saint Paul. "Our plow and emergency vehicle drivers appreciated residents’ compliance so they could continue to safely access and clear our streets this winter."

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport saw more than 80 inches of snow this season, making it the eighth-snowiest winter on record for the region.