Should parking restrictions be extended to Downtown?

Wisconsin State Journal, May 10, 2010
By Dean Mosiman

In a nutshell

Madison has long sought to improve aesthetics and minimize water runoff pollution in its lakes by regularly sweeping streets.

Currently, parking restrictions to allow sweeping, which carry a $35 hour fine, are only enforceable in parts of the 2nd, 5th, 6th and 13th districts. A proposal by Ald. Mike Verveer, 4th District, would allow enforcement Downtown and any part of the city where proper signs are posted. The proposal would also allow year-round enforcement to improve snow removal.

The case for

The Clean Streets Clean Lakes program, in effect from May through Nov. 15, restricts parking during daytime hours with rules posted on special signs so sweepers can clean up all the way to the curb, which is important in keeping debris and nutrients out of lakes and streams.The core Downtown, however, is swept to the curb only once a year, Verveer said.

The proposal would allow expansion of the program into the city’s most densely populated areas, Verveer said, only after consulting with residents and the council member who represents the neighborhood.

The case against

The program has costs and can create parking headaches in neighborhoods where parking is in short supply.

Extending the program into Downtown, for example, may require another Streets Division employee and street sweeper, Verveer acknowledged.

“I’m very sensitive to concerns,” he said.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.