Weekend snowstorm tests St. Paul's new pilot parking program
Snowstorm tests new St. Paul pilot parking plan
After the second snow emergency this season in St. Paul, the city continues to test out new parking rules in two neighborhoods. FOX 9's Babs Santos has more.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - St. Paul’s Highland Park and Payne Phalen neighborhoods are being studied this winter, as the St. Paul Public Works department looks for ways to improve snow removal. As FOX 9 first reported on Feb. 2, through April 12, drivers park on one side of the road, and then switch sides every Sunday.
Public Works director Sean Kershaw provided an update on Sunday, after this weekend’s snow emergency.
"It went really well in Highland, and we’ll check in Payne Phalen," Kershaw said.
"It allows us to plow away from the parked cars, fully to the other curb, which we don’t always get to do," he explained.
Locals question city’s new pilot program
The other side:
The changes are not making everyone happy.
"It feels like overkill for trying to accomplish the goal they’ve got, which is having clean streets," 13-year St. Paul resident Mark Hegg commented.
"Instead of being able to park wherever you’d like on either side of the street. [Now] every other week you switch sides, so you’re not allowed to park in front of your own house," Hegg continued. "It’s almost [like] a snow emergency every week, where you have to get out and move your car or get a ticket."
On Sunday, the city said compliance had been improving. On Feb 3, they counted 26 cars parked incorrectly in Highland Park, and 160 cars parked incorrectly in Payne Phalen. By Feb. 7, there were 0 cars parked incorrectly in Highland Park, and 61 cars parked incorrectly in Payne Phalen.
Now, the city plans to measure the amount of snow left on roads, to compare effectiveness in pilot areas to the rest of town.