Winter parking regulations take effect December 1st -- and there's a change this year!
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Winter parking regulations for the City of Milwaukee take effect Monday, December 1st, 2014 and remain in effect through Sunday, March 1st, 2015.
Overnight and daytime parking rules in many areas of the city change to allow Department of Public Works (DPW) plows to access more street pavement – curb to curb if possible - to remove snow and ice more effectively, efficiently, and most importantly, safely.
Residents who live in an area of Milwaukee known as the “5-Day Exception Parking Area” are allowed to park on both sides of their street for most of the year.
"You can only fit so many potatoes in a sack. There is not room on the East Side for one side of the street to always be open," said Milwaukee Alderman Nik Kovac.
In the past, when winter parking regulations took effect each December 1st, residents had to move their vehicles each night to the correct side of the street.
"We were getting a lot of tickets," said East Side resident, Mari Cucunato.
Cucunato says she sometimes searched for a parking space for 20 minutes.
"It’s very difficult -- especially if you are trying to carry groceries and you can’t find parking. We circle constantly," she said.
Beginning December 1st, residents in the 5-Day Exception Area may continue to park overnight on both sides of the street unless DPW announces that a snow-plow or other public works operation will be conducted overnight.
"I think its going to be, I don’t know, less stressful," said Cucunato.
Alderman Kovac says the rules can be confusing, and came up with a rhyme to help people understand them.
"If you see snow on the ground, move around. If you see the curb, you will not be disturbed," Kovac continued.
TAKE A LOOK: 5-Day Exception Area Map
If the DPW announces they will plow, residents must move their vehicles immediately to the correct side of the street – odd side of the street on an odd-numbered day (before midnight) or the even side of the street on an even-numbered day (before midnight) - for legal overnight parking.
While DPW will send a notice to media outlets announcing an overnight operation in the 5-Day Exception Area, residents are encouraged to sign up to receive a Snow Mobile Winter Text Alert message. Subscribers will receive a text message on their cell phone(s) alerting them that a DPW operation has been called, and that all vehicles must be moved to the correct side of the street.
Residents who prefer an email message can sign up for an E-Notify email message that will transmit the same information.
Once the area streets have been plowed, DPW will notify residents again that the operation has concluded and overnight parking is once again permitted on both sides of your street, until the next operation is called.
Failure to move a vehicle overnight during a declared DPW operation will result in a $20 citation and the possibility of being towed. Towed vehicles are subject to a $105 reclamation fee plus a $20 per day storage fee. Remember - you also need a valid overnight parking permit to park on the street.
Check for posted signs first for winter parking regulations on those streets where you plan to park, or click on http://mpw.milwaukee.gov/services/parking_regs.
If there are no posted signs, go to http://mpw.milwaukee.gov/services/winterregs for more information, or call (414) 286-CITY (2489).
The Department of Public Works offers a text message alert system called Snow Mobile-Winter Text Alert, which informs subscribers when the City declares a snow emergency or when the “4-inch rule” goes into effect. Sign up for this alert at www.city.milwaukee.gov/mpw .
Prefer an email message? Sign up through E-Notify at www.city.milwaukee.gov/mpw to receive an email when a snow emergency is declared.
The Department of Public Works encourages City residents to follow the winter parking regulations, which will help our crews remove snow effectively, efficiently, and safely this winter season.