Minneapolis moves to one-side parking

Minneapolis will limit parking to the odd side of streets until the spring as the city works to widen passages for emergency vehicles.

Parking the news: The restrictions begin 9pm Thursday, Jan. 26. By the weekend, the city anticipates ticketing and towing vehicles parked on the even side of non-emergency routes.

Why it matters: The narrow streets have slowed fire trucks, ambulances and buses, in addition to being a headache for drivers and bicyclists.

How we got here: The Twin Cities is on pace for one of its snowiest winters on record, with 52 inches year to date. That's a normal winter's worth of snow at roughly the midpoint of the season.

• There's also ice rutting on side streets caused by wet snow from storms earlier this month. Public Works Director Margaret Anderson Kelliher said plows have been out constantly trying to break up the ruts.

What they're saying: Kelliher also said plows can't push snow banks back any further and there's no warmup in sight with temperatures expected to plunge this weekend.

• "This [parking change] is inconvenient for people and we understand that," she said at a Wednesday news conference.

What to watch: The restrictions will remain until April 1, but could end earlier if warm weather melts enough snow to make the streets passable for emergency vehicles, Kelliher said.

Between the lines: The city was criticized for not calling a snow emergency earlier during a January storm. Kelliher said crews were out plowing throughout that three-day storm.

• "I do not believe that had we called [the emergency] when we were in the height of snow coming down on that first day that we were going to get significantly clearer," she said.

Of note: If there's another emergency called, the current parking restrictions will go on hold and people can use even-side parking to follow the snow emergency rules.