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.
• Arterials and collectors 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

Two Neighborhood Pilot Areas - Payne Phalen & Highland Park

In February 2025, Saint Paul Public Works will be piloting a new weekly alternating one-sided parking cycle on residential streets.

The two neighborhood pilot areas will be signed with temporary signs and are located:

• Payne Phalen (bounded by 35 E, Maryland, Desoto and Case Avenue)
• Highland Park (bounded by Fairview Avenue, Ford Parkway, Snelling Avenue and Montreal)

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

Parking is ONLY 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.

Follow all permanent and posted street signs. 

For example:

Starting on Sunday, February 2, 2025 at 9 p.m., residents and visitors in the pilot areas must only park on the EVEN-NUMBERED side of the street (typically the south or east sides of the streets). Parking will be banned for that week on the odd side of the street for winter maintenance.

You will only park that week on the EVEN-NUMBERED side of the street.

Then on Sunday, February 9 from 3-9 p.m. residents need to move their vehicles to the other side of the street. This is the only time that parking is allowed on both sides of the street. 

Starting at 9 p.m. on Sunday, February 9 residents must only park on the ODD-NUMBERED side of the street (typically the north and west sides of the streets). Parking will be banned for that week on the even side of the street for winter maintenance.

You will only park that week on the ODD-NUMBERED side of the street.

This weekly alternating parking cycle will be in effect for the two pilot areas until April 15, 2025.

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