GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Green Bay city council president Mark Steuer wants to look at lifting the city’s overnight parking restrictions, after seeing the city pass a Safe Park program, aimed at curbing drunk driving.
Right now, people who park on the street in Green Bay between 3 am and 5 am are supposed to receive a citation.
Chris Pirlot, the city’s parking and operations director, says 19 times since 2001, there’s been a city council request to lift that ban. All have been unsuccessful.
Steuer tells FOX 11 it’s time for another look.
“I know it’s come up a few times, but we have a newer council and a lot of times, every year or two, you can revisit something that may not have passed years ago. I think we have an opportunity now to look at it.”
Steuer is proposing a rule that would allow people to buy a permit to park on the street overnight. Similar to Milwaukee, on even-numbered days, they would have to park on the side of the street with even house numbers, and vice versa.
“I’m trying to look for a solution that will be amenable not only for the people who don’t have a large house and don’t have room to park their cars, but also the overnight drinking situation as well.”
Right now, people who can’t drive after a night of drinking at a private residence can park on the street if they notify the city by phone or online form.
People who drink too much at businesses can now get a one-night overnight parking permit through the city’s new Safe Park program. However, the permits are only available at Brown County Tavern League establishments.
Alderman Brian Johnson worked with the tavern league on Safe Park and believes it could act as a pilot to see whether more overnight parking could work.
“If we’ve got areas that are seeing heavy usage, are there ways we can work around that and would those ways be applicable throughout the city.”
“We just don’t see any real alternatives,” said Pirlot. “Otherwise, I want to believe we would have come up with them.”
Pirlot says the reasons for the overnight parking restrictions are for street sweeping, snow plowing, and quality of life. He says the even/odd proposal would reduce efficiency.
“I go to Milwaukee, that is not as clean a community as Green Bay. They have cars on the street all the time and their streets are not swept to the degree that I know we have to keep them to maintain our stormwater protection program.”
A city committee is expected to start discussing the even/odd idea next month. Steuer says if nothing else, he hopes this starts the conversation and some sort of solution can be found.
