In the first two days of its new one-side parking rule, St. Paul has issued about 2,000 tickets to violators but only towed a dozen cars, officials said Wednesday.
The city began ticketing in earnest Monday night, when about 1,100 citations were issued, said Kari Spreeman, a spokeswoman for the Public Works Department. Slightly fewer than 1,000 tickets were written throughout the day Tuesday, she said.
A dozen cars were towed Tuesday night, the first vehicles moved since the restrictions took effect.
Starting Monday, the city restricted parking to the odd-numbered sides of residential streets to help emergency vehicles get down streets narrowed by snow.
Vehicles can still be parked on both sides of arterial or primary streets that go through residential districts, such as Randolph and Snelling avenues. Parking also is still allowed on even-numbered sides of nonresidential streets, and on streets already posted for one-side parking.
In St. Paul, offenders must pay $56 for tickets and $219.50 to spring their car from the impound lot on the same day it was towed. A storage fee of $15 is charged for each additional day the vehicle remains at the lot.
For more information on which streets fall under the parking ban, go to www.stpaul.gov/snow or call the 24-hour street maintenance line at 651-266-9700.
KEVIN DUCHSCHERE
