December started off with a surprise winter storm that blanketed Milwaukee County in 6 to 12 inches of snow, prompting the city to declare a snow emergency and limit street parking.
How many people missed the memo?
Through a records request to the Department of Public Works, Public Investigator found that the city issued nearly 6,000 tickets in the immediate aftermath of the storm.
Here’s what the city has to say about the tickets, and who got hit the hardest:
What is a snow emergency?
The commissioner of the city’s Public Works Department declares a snow emergency when snowfall creates a “serious public health hazard” by affecting transportation for emergency services. A snow emergency lasts about 72 hours to give snowplows enough time to clear the streets.
During a snow emergency, street parking is more restricted.
Milwaukee’s snow emergency was declared at noon on Nov. 30 and ended at 6 a.m. Dec. 2.
How do snow emergencies affect parking?
It’s important to pay attention to the city’s parking instructions during a snow emergency because they can change each day. During the recent Nov. 30-Dec. 2 snow emergency, the city told residents to park on the even side of the street, then the odd, and prohibited parking on main streets.
Violating the city’s parking regulation during snow emergencies is a $50 fine for the first violation. The second violation is $100.
How many tickets did the city issue during December’s snow emergency?
The city issued 5,913 snow emergency tickets between Nov. 30 and Dec. 2.
Snow emergency tickets issued:
How much money will the tickets generate for the city?
Assuming those ticketed will pay the fine, the city would generate around $305,150 from these tickets.
How does the city use funds from snow emergency tickets?
The funds don’t go directly toward the city’s snowplowing efforts, according to Tiffany Shepherd, spokesperson for the Department of Public Works.
Funds from parking citations go toward the city’s transportation fund, which covers services like road repairs and speed bumps. The revenue can also be pulled into the city’s general funds, which can be used to cover essentially any city costs, Shepherd said.
Which city streets received the most tickets?
North Farwell Avenue, on the lower east aide, had the most citations during the snow emergency. The city issued 244 tickets on that street.
But snow emergency tickets weren’t limited to one area of the city. About 212 streets were ticketed across Walker’s Point, Riverwest, the near west side and Sherman Park.
Top 10 most ticketed streets during this snow emergency were:
Why does the city issue snow emergency tickets?
Improperly parked cars block snowplows and delay ambulances and police vehicles, Shepherd said. Ticketing is one way to convince drivers to follow the city’s parking regulations.
“We don’t want to ticket you,” Shepherd said. “We want to plow.”
What are some tips to help avoid tickets next time?
If off-street parking is limited on your street even when there isn’t snow, you can park at specific Milwaukee Public Schools lots and city-owned lots during snow emergencies. A full list of locations is on the city’s website.
You can sign up for text notifications for winter parking regulations at milwaukeeparkingalerts.com. The Department of Public Works also posts about snow emergencies on its social media pages.
Gina Castro is a reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at gcastro@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee issued nearly 6,000 tickets in the last snow emergency
Reporting by Gina Lee Castro, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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