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Q&A:
Are parking meters covered with my car2go Membership?
YES! Both City of Minneapolis and St Paul public parking meters 2 hrs or greater are now included in
your car2go Membership.
Can I park at any meter in Minneapolis?
You can end your trip at any City of Minneapolis parking meter with a time limit of 2hrs or
greater. Please ensure you pay close attention to any time restrictions on the meter which are indicated
by a red band at the top of the meter. Be sure to end your rental only if you know you will be using the
car again prior to the restricted time (i.e. rush hour restriction begins at 4pm). Do not assume that
another member will use the car before the restriction takes effect, and do not end your trip at a meter
if a time restriction will be enforced in less than 12 hours. You may be responsible for any ticket/tow
fees that may have been given for parking at a restricted meter.
EXAMPLE:
Allowed - Jim wants to park at a meter in downtown Minneapolis at 1pm Tuesday afternoon. The meter
he finds has a red band at the top stating “EXCEPT NO PARKING TOW AWAY ZONE 4PM-6PM MONFRI”. Jim plans on meeting a friend for lunch at Seven Steakhouse and will be using the car again after
he finishes lunch, before 4pm when the restriction begins. This is ok as he will be moving the car before
the restriction begins, avoiding the possibility of a ticket and tow.
Not allowed – Jim wants to park at a meter in downtown Minneapolis at 3pm Thursday afternoon. The
meter he finds has a red band at the top stating “EXCEPT NO PARKING TOW AWAY ZONE 4PM-6PM
MON-FRI”. He will be attending a Twins game that evening starting at 7pm and does not plan on
returning to the car until after the game is over, which will be after the 4pm restriction takes effect. This
is not ok because he cannot be sure that the car will be moved by another member before the
restriction begins. Jim could be responsible for any applicable ticket and tow fees.
Can I park at any meter in St Paul?
You can end your trip at any City of St. Paul parking meter with a time limit of 2hrs or greater. All
metered parking in Downtown St Paul is restricted either Monday, Wednesday & Friday or Tuesday &
Thursday from 3am-6am. car2go is not exempt from restricted meters, so if you plan on ending your
rental at a metered space affected by the restrictions and not returning to the car, please ensure you
park at a meter which doesn’t have restrictions beginning within 12 hours of ending your rental. If you
end your rental at a metered space and will use the vehicle again, you just need to move the vehicle
before 3 a.m. when the restriction begins. Please ensure you pay close attention to any time restrictions
on the meter, which are indicated by a red band at the top of the meter. Do not end your trip at a
meter if a time restriction will be enforced in less than 12 hours.
EXAMPLE:
Allowed – Jim wants to park in Lowertown and go to dinner at Golden’s Deli on a Tuesday at 7pm. The
meter he parks at has a red band at the top stating “EXCEPT NO PARKING TOW AWAY ZONE 3AM-6AM
TUE & THU”. He will then be taking Nice Ride to get back home to Minneapolis. This is ok because he
will be leaving the car at a meter that is not affected by a restriction within 12 hours of ending his rental.
Allowed – Jim wants to park in Lowertown and go to dinner on Wednesday night at 7pm at Bulldog. He
wants to park at the same meter with the red band stating “EXCEPT NO PARKING TOW AWAY ZONE
3AM-6AM TUE & THU”. He will be taking the same car to get home to Minneapolis after dinner before
the 3am restriction begins. This is ok because he will be moving the car before the 3am restriction takes
effect on Thursday morning.
Not Allowed – Jim wants to park in Lowertown and go to dinner on Wednesday night at 7pm at
Barrio. He wants to park at the same meter with the red band stating “EXCEPT NO PARKING TOW AWAY
ZONE 3AM-6AM TUE & THU”. He will then be taking a Nice Ride back home to Minneapolis and does
not plan on moving the car before the 3am restriction begins. This is not ok because he cannot be sure
that another member will move the car before the 3am restriction begins on Thursday morning. Jim
could be responsible for any applicable ticket and tow fees.
Are there any meters where I can’t end my trip in Minneapolis or St. Paul?
Yes, trips may not be ended on Minneapolis Parks Board property, University of Minnesota (U of M)
property, or any private property location with meters. Meters stating City of Minneapolis or City of St
Paul that have a time limit of 2hrs or greater are covered by your car2go membership.
<insert mplsparks&recnew.jpg ,uofm.jpg >
How come I can’t end my trips in some areas in Minneapolis?
To save you headache and hassles, we have blocked off heavily restricted metered areas in Minneapolis
that are subject to tickets/tows. Areas include parts of 1st Ave, 2nd Ave, Main St, Lagoon Ave, Marquette
Ave, Lakeview Ave, Dean Parkway, East River Road, and U of M property. If you try to end your rental in
these areas the vehicle will prompt you to relocate the car to an unrestricted location.
Are there any other parking restrictions in St. Paul?
Yes – St. Paul does have overnight restrictions on some streets throughout the city. Please watch for
signs that indicate overnight restrictions such as “No Parking Monday 2am-7am”.
What are the differences between St Paul and Minneapolis meters?
All meters state on the top which entity they belong to. Most St Paul and some Minneapolis meters have
a time restriction (i.e. rush hour zone, valet zone, loading zone, etc…) – so please note the red bands on
top!
How do I spot a restricted meter?
Restricted meters are identified by being completely red, yellow, or red banded at the top.
Can I end my trip at a restricted meters?
Feel free to end your rental at a restricted meter if you know you will be returning to move the car
before the restriction begins. Do not assume that another member will use the car before the
restriction begins. car2gos are not exempt from those time restrictions and may be subjected to tickets
and tows. You may be held responsible for any ticket/tow fees that resulted from parking at a restricted
meter.
What about Critical Parking/Residential Permit areas in Minneapolis and St. Paul?
Yes – we’ve got you covered! You are able to end your trip in any residential area where a permit is
required.
What’s the difference between public and private parking spaces?
Public parking spaces are those on-street and may or may not have a meter or permit requirement.
Private parking spaces are located on private property, for example retail parking lots like Target, alleys,
parking ramps, and driveways.
What are Parkspots?
Parkspots are contracted designated parking spots throughout the home area where members can end
their trips on private property. These locations may include surface parking lots or ramps and are highly
visible by use of the car2go sign. They are noted on the in-car GPS or on app/website via the “P”.
What do I do if the Parkspot isn’t available?
You may either continue on to the next Parkspot or simply drive to the next legal on-street parking
space. Only available Parkspots appear on the app.
What does a “P” mean on the app?
That’s a Parkspot, a dedicated space just for car2go!
What if a Snow Emergency is declared?
We will send out an email notifying all members that a snow emergency has been declared and
containing parking procedures for both Minneapolis and St. Paul. We will also post on
Twitter/Facebook announcing the Snow Emergency with a link to parking procedures for each
city. *Please note that parking procedures are different for Minneapolis and St. Paul and will be clearly
defined in each posting. Please familiarize yourself with the parking procedures for both cities and
ensure you are following the proper parking procedures for the city where you are ending your rental. If
a car is parked after a snow emergency is declared and gets ticketed or towed, you may be responsible
for any associated ticket/tow fees. In addition, every car2go has a guide in the driver side door with
directions on what to do. Additional assistance is available by pushing the “SOS” button or calling 877488-4224.
Minneapolis Snow Emergency Information:
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/snow/
(612) 348-SNOW
St Paul Snow Emergency Information:
www.stpaul.gov/snow
(651) 266-PLOW
Can I help move cars during a Snow Emergency?
Yes! Members are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the parking procedures for each city and if
interested, members will be compensated with 20 bonus minutes for moving a car off of a route that
will be plowed that day. Instructions for how to move cars during a snow emergency are included by
following this link https://www.facebook.com/notes/car2go-minneapolis/winter-parkingprocedures/257190127767085 and will be included when car2go sends out Snow Emergency
notifications.
Can I drive a car from Minneapolis and end my trip in St Paul or vice versa?
Yes! Let the one-way trips begin! You are now able to begin and end rentals in either city.
I want to park a car2go and keep the key with me. Can I do this?
Yes, this is called a “Stopover”*. A stopover is when you park a car2go with the intention of continuing
your rental and taking the key with you. You are responsible for all costs associated within the area that
you are parking in when doing a stopover, where car2go does not have parking arrangements, such as
private parking lots.
*Please note, charges are accrued for the time that you are doing a Stopover
How to do a Stopover
1. Ensure that you have followed the parking rules in the area that you have parked
2. Once you put the vehicle in “Park”, three options will be available
3. Choose Stopover
4. Turn off the lights
5. Take the key with you while running your errand
6. Lock the doors before leaving the car
*Please note that all trips outside the home area are considered “Stopovers”
Can I drive outside the home area?
Yes, you are able to drive outside the home area, however you will only be able to do a “stopover” (see
“How to do a Stopover”). You will not be allowed to end your rental outside the home area and will be
charged for the entire time until you return within the home area to end your rental
What are the boundaries of the home area?
The boundaries follow the entire city limits of both Minneapolis and St. Paul. Please refer to our
smartphone app, car2go.com, or 5x5 information card in the car for a map of the home area.
www.car2go.com
Can I park at the airport?
Currently the airport is outside the home area and a trip cannot be ended outside the home area.
What about temporary parking restrictions like street sweeping?:
Minneapolis and St. Paul will post temporary “no parking” signs at least 24 hours in advance before
sweeping any streets, banning parking the day the street is swept. Do not park along these streets until
the signs are removed. Vehicles parked in the temporary “no parking” zone could be ticketed or
towed. If it is determined that you parked the vehicle after temporary “no parking” signs were posted,
you may be responsible for any associated ticket/tow fees.
Minneapolis Street Sweeping:
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/publicworks/streetsweeping/
St Paul Street Sweeping:
http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?NID=3861
Can I park perpendicularly?
No, car2gos must be parked parallel to the curb in all on street spaces. If a car is parked perpendicularly
it may be subject to a ticket/tow, which would be applied to the member who last used it.
Can I park 2 cars in one spot?
You cannot park 2 cars in one space at any metered space in either Minneapolis or St. Paul. You may be
able to park 2 cars in one space at a designated car2go Parkspot, which will be indicated by signage at
the Parkspot.