Minneapolis lifted its winter parking restrictions on Friday, about a month before they were scheduled to expire on April 1st. According to public safety officials, enough snow has melted to allow for parking on both sides of streets. Previously, it was restricted to just one side of non-snow emergency routes. The city originally implemented the ban in order to ensure emergency vehicles had ample space to navigate narrow residential streets with encroaching snow banks. Minneapolis officials said that the increase in rental units in the Southeast Como and Marcy Holmes neighborhoods has led to a denser population per property in those areas, which makes it more difficult to find parking. Students agreed, but many said they were willing to adapt to the restrictions. The last time the city implemented similar measures was 2001.