Reimagining Snow Operations

Modernizing the City's Approach to Winter Weather

As a result of the record-setting 2022-2023 snow season, the City of Saint Paul took a citywide approach to reviewing current snow operations and made a number of changes to prepare for the 2023-2024 snow season. Many of the new strategies were not implemented due to the lower than average snow fall that season.

Saint Paul is:

• Researching and exploring several other systems, models, and options to manage citywide snow operations
• Conducting pilots of a "weekly alternating one-side parking cycle" in two neighborhoods in 2025.
• Creating a process to engage the Saint Paul community and our partners about snow operations to seek input and feedback

Exploring One Potential Solution: Weekly Alternating 1-Sided Winter Parking Cycle

• Allow on-street parking only on one side of the street (odd/even) for one week and then people “switch sides” every Sunday during a specified window of time, such as 3-9 p.m.
• Arterial and collector (main) streets are given priority, but ability for city plowing operations to more effectively move into residentials at any time
• Regular ticketing and towing enforcement throughout the winter season to support compliance
• "Snow Emergencies" can still be declared when we need to immediately tag/tow cars for plowing/safety reasons

Neighborhood Pilot Areas

Starting Sunday, February 2, 2025, Saint Paul Public Works will be piloting a new weekly alternating one-sided parking cycle on residential streets. This weekly alternating parking cycle will be in effect for the two pilot areas until April 12, 2025.

During the pilot, Public Works crews will be treating and plowing all streets in the pilot area for any winter weather related event. Residents should anticipate seeing plows on their street. Please note these plows may only be doing work in the pilot area and not on surrounding streets.

The two neighborhood pilot areas will be signed with temporary signs (see image below) and are located:

• Payne-Phalen - bounded by Mississippi Street, Maryland Avenue, Desoto Street, and Case Avenue
• Highland Park - bounded by Fairview Avenue, Ford Parkway, Snelling Avenue and Montreal Avenue

On-street parking in these designated areas will be one-side parking that will alternate weekly between the EVEN and ODD numbered sides of the streets. 

Parking is permitted on both sides of the streets on Sundays between 3-9 p.m. when people should be moving vehicles to the other side of the street where permitted.

If there are residential handicap signs on the street, the city will temporarily post a handicap parking area on the alternate side of the street. Follow all permanent and posted street signs. 

Parking schedule

• Parking maps for Payne-Phalen pilot area
• Parking maps for Highland Park pilot area

If a Snow Emergency is declared during the pilot, this parking schedule will remain in effect. The Snow Emergency parking rules will NOT apply in the pilot areas. All other areas of the city will follow the Snow Emergency parking rules.

Ticketing & Towing

The city will be ticketing and towing vehicles that are NOT parked according to the alternating one-sided parking cycle rules in the pilot area.

• February 2 - 16: Education phase
  • The city will be flyering vehicles in the pilot area to provide information about the weekly alternating parking cycle.
• February 17 - April 12: Enforcement phase
  • The city will be ticketing and towing vehicles that are NOT parked according to the weekly alternating parking cycle rules in the pilot area.

Sign indicating pilot area

Payne-Phalen Pilot Area

Area bounded by Mississippi Street, Maryland Avenue, Desoto Street, and Case Avenue

Online parking maps for pilot areas

Special parking rules for Arkwright Street

• No parking on the ODD side (west side) of the street at all times.
• During the ODD side week, parking will be allowed during the day only on the EVEN side (east side) of Arkwright Street.
• During the ODD side week, No Parking overnight on the EVEN side of the street from 10 p.m. - 6 a.m.

Map for EVEN week parking in Payne-Phalen

Printable EVEN side parking map Payne-Phalen

Map for ODD week parking in Payne-Phalen

Printable ODD side parking map Payne-Phalen

Highland Park Pilot Area

Area is bound by Fairview Avenue, Ford Parkway, Snelling Avenue and Montreal Avenue

Online parking maps for pilot areas

Special parking rules for Ford Parkway and Montreal Avenue 

• Parking will be allowed on both sides of the street during the day, except where posted No Parking.
• During the evening, parking will only be allowed on one side of the street based on the alternating side parking rules.
• During the EVEN side week, no parking will be allowed on the ODD side (north side) of Ford Parkway and Montreal Avenue from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• During the ODD side week, no parking will be allowed on the EVEN side (south side) of Ford Parkway and Montreal Avenue from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. 

Map for EVEN week parking in Highland Park

Printable EVEN side parking map Highland Park

Map for ODD week parking in Highland Park

Printable ODD side parking map Highland Park

New Snow Community Working Group

Saint Paul will create a new Snow Community Working Group to serve as community ambassadors to educate, engage, advocate, and collect needed input, feedback, and data from the public around potential new snow models. 

The community working group of 12-15 members will meet regularly to:

• Learn about current snow operations and challenges
• Coordinate and co-host informational community meetings 
• Support the city’s implementation of the engagement plan and strategies to gather input and feedback from the community (e.g. focus groups, surveys, interviews, community events, etc.) on proposed new snow operations strategies

Interest Form for Snow Community Working Group