Target Field's free parking is no more

The enemy on the prowl.

​Sorry to all the Twins fans who have enjoyed free parking since Target Field opened, but your luck has just run out.

That's right: Those insufferable money grubbers down at City Hall have finally caught on to the parking on 4th Street North, adjacent from the stadium.

As of last week, the four-hour parking signs have been replaced with fancy new meters. On a normal day, they run $.25 per hour. On the day of a Twins game, they skyrocket to $1.50 per hour, beginning three hours before the game.

This was also pretty much the last free parking near the City Pages office, so we share your outrage.

This carefully drawn arrow shows where you could have been parking free up to four hours all this time.

​We asked the city what accounts for the enormous price increase on game days. Here's what Minneapolis spokesman Matt Lindstrom told us in an e-mailed reply:

When the City of Minneapolis was looking for new parking meters, one of the features we sought was the ability for parking meters to change their rates when there is more demand for on-street parking, like during a Twins game.

The new parking meters near Target Field do charge "event rates" during Twins games, but depending on how long a vehicle parks at one of these meters, they may pay less at a meter than parking in an area ramp or surface lot.

We all knew this day would come. It was good while it lasted.