In early December, a significant winter storm deposited 6 to 12 inches of snow across Milwaukee County, leading city officials to declare a snow emergency and impose parking limitations on streets.
Understanding Snow Emergencies
When heavy snowfall threatens to impede emergency services, the Public Works commissioner declares a snow emergency, typically lasting around 72 hours to allow for thorough street clearing.
This particular emergency was in effect from noon on November 30 until 6 a.m. on December 2.
Parking Rules and Enforcement
During such emergencies, parking regulations become stricter, with rules potentially changing daily. For this event, residents were instructed to park on even-numbered sides of streets initially, then odd-numbered sides, with main streets completely off-limits.
Violations result in fines: $50 for the first offense and $100 for subsequent ones.
Citation Numbers and Financial Impact
City records show 5,913 tickets were issued during the three-day period:
- November 30: 746
- December 1: 3,067
- December 2: 2,100
If all fines are paid, the city could collect approximately $305,150 from these citations.
Revenue Allocation
According to Tiffany Shepherd, spokesperson for the Department of Public Works, funds from parking citations don't directly support snow removal operations.
"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.
Most Affected Areas
North Farwell Avenue on the Lower East Side received the highest number of citations with 244 tickets. However, enforcement wasn't concentrated in one area—approximately 212 streets across multiple neighborhoods received tickets.
The top ten most ticketed streets were:
- North Farwell Avenue - 244
- West Scott Street - 225
- South 11th Street - 219
- South 14th Street - 190
- South 13th Street - 163
- South 19th Street - 156
- South 12th Street - 139
- South 29th Street - 134
- North Booth Street – 118
- North Oakland Avenue - 113
Purpose of Enforcement
Shepherd explained that improperly parked vehicles obstruct snow plows and delay emergency responders.
"We don’t want to ticket you," Shepherd said. "We want to plow."
Avoiding Future Citations
Residents with limited off-street parking can use designated Milwaukee Public School lots and city-owned parking areas during snow emergencies. Complete location lists are available on the city's website.
Text notifications for winter parking regulations can be obtained at milwaukeeparkingalerts.com, and the Department of Public Works provides updates through social media channels.
