Milwaukee food truck curfew repeal proposed by city leaders

MILWAUKEE - Months after the city tried to clamp down on late-night crowds by pushing food trucks out at 10 p.m., city leaders are now throwing in the towel on that legal fight.

Alderman Robert Bauman said fighting for a blocked curfew just does not make sense, especially since a judge blocked it from ever taking effect.

"From a legislative standpoint, we kind of ran our course," Alderman Bauman said.

It is how Alderman Bauman laid it out as the city prepares to formally repeal its controversial 10 p.m. food truck curfew.

Back in April, the council passed the restriction at the request of police following a wave of shootings and violence on Water Street. However, food truck owners sued, and a judge blocked the rule before it ever took effect.

"Given those facts, it seemed prudent to basically repeal the 10 p.m. curfew and revert back to the 1 a.m. curfew," Alderman Bauman said.

He said interviews conducted during the lawsuit revealed the real issue is not food trucks, but the understaffed police presence.

"If MPD does not have the resources, then in the future, Water Street is very much in question," Bauman said.

It is a sentiment people said they have noticed in the area.

"The violence, the young crowd, the parking, you have a lot of police officers out here. Streets are always blocked off," Ashia Rhodes said.

It is a public safety concern that has pushed the closure of popular businesses like Duke's on Water back in May. Just last week, Silk on Water announced a temporary closure.

"I appreciate the police force, but I don't know if their immense presence is helping, unfortunately," Tiffany Gorski, a Water Street employee, said.

The proposal now moves to the Public Safety and Health Committee, which takes up the issue at its next meeting on September 11.

Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Abril Preciado and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.