Overnight Traffic Control Pilot Program Starts Monday In Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minneapolis starts testing out a new way to police parking Monday.

The city is launching an overnight traffic control pilot program.

If anyone in Minneapolis needs to make a parking related call or complaint -- whether that's a parking issue on the street or in a ramp -- they will call 311 instead of 911, which will free up police time and resources.

The goal for the city is to find alternatives to police response for minor issues.

Traffic Control already responds during the day, but this new pilot program extends into the overnight hours of 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., making this a 24/7 resource for parking issues.

In many cases, both Traffic Control and the Minneapolis Police Department will receive the same parking complaint and both will respond. This pilot program hopes to eliminate those duplicate service calls.

This change comes while the fate of MPD is in the hands of the voters in Minneapolis. Early voting has already started for the November election, and ballot question number 2 will be asking voters if they want to replace MPD with a department of public safety.

While the election is still up in the air, the city hopes this pilot program improves policing in some way.