St. Paul to replow snow-choked streets this week, with another round of parking restrictions
ST. PAUL -- Street conditions are so bad in St. Paul, the city has announced it will be re-plowing over the next four days. The goal is to clean up the snow so narrower streets become safe and clear again.
St. Paul Public Works is executing a citywide plowing operation starting Tuesday and lasting through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Residents will have to move their cars or risk a $330 ticket and tow.
"This citywide residential plowing effort is extremely critical to keep St. Paul's side streets safe and passible as we try to widen and clean up our streets," said Sean Kershaw, Director of Saint Paul Public Works. "It is only mid-January and we are getting close to season average snowfall totals. There is a lot of winter still to come."
Here are the details of which streets are being plowed on which days:
- Tuesday, January 17 — North side (odd-numbered side) of east-west residential streets
- Wednesday, January 18 — South side (even-numbered side) of east-west residential streets
- Thursday, January 19 — East side (even-numbered side) of north-south residential streets
- Friday, January 20 — West side (odd-numbered side) of north-south residential streets
A WCCO crew driving around St. Paul reported it was like driving off road in an ATV.
Residents are going to have to move their cars depending on whether they are an even or odd number house and which direction their streets go. Residents say they are not sure how much plowing is going to help because the streets are so icy. However, first responders say its worth a try.
"If we actually did have an incident where we would have to set up a ladder truck, it would be difficult for us to set the outriggers up so we can do our job," St. Paul firefighter John Damato said. "So its a good thing they are going to be plowing those streets clear for us."
Normal parking rules still apply on St. Paul's main streets.
In Minneapolis, crews say they are continuing to "plow and target snow removal on narrow streets in the city's most dense residential neighborhoods that are challenging for emergency vehicles to navigate." The city has also posted one-sided parking on some of the streets in challenging areas.