August 18, 2009

Council to consider alternate-side parking
on weekends during winter

Alderman Jim Kaplan knows firsthand how difficult it is to drive a city snowplow through a street lined on both sides by cars.

As a city employee for 28 years he spent time behind the wheel of a snow plow trying to navigate narrow openings in an effort to keep the roads clear.

"We have so many winter storms where it's impossible to get the streets cleared," Kaplan said.

His solution, along with four other aldermen, is to expand alternate-side parking to seven days a week from Dec. 1 to April 1. Under the current ordinance, alternate-side parking is in effect on weekdays.

Kaplan said enforcing alternate-side parking all winter long will give snow plows more room to clear streets on the weekends, which in turn will lead to wider streets for traffic after snowstorms.

"Alternate-side parking seven days a week during winter will make Racine safer and make the streets wider than they've been," Kaplan said.

The change could also save money because snow plow drivers won't have to make as many passes through city streets on the weekends, Kaplan said. The savings will be an important factor in discussions, he said.

"We just realize for economy's sake we're going to start needing to do things we need to do," Kaplan said. "We can't always do what we want to do."

Aldermen Ron Hart, Aron Wisneski, Q.A. Shakoor II and Ray DeHahn joined with Kaplan in asking the council to consider adding weekends to the city's alternate-side parking ordinance. The proposal was referred to the Public Works Committee Tuesday night for consideration.

Kaplan acknowledged people who rely on street parking would be adversely affected by the change. In particular, he said, people who live in homes or apartments without garages or driveways would see their parking options limited in the winter.

"This makes total sense except for somebody without a driveway," he said.

41 comments:

  1. Good idea here. If you have cars parked on both side of the street during the Winter time it's a total mess.

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  2. I'm for it, I often feel bad when a plow has to carefully navigate around poorly placed cars. Plus, it would reduce the amount of times I stop to help people shovel out their curb-embedded cars.

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  3. Couple things...

    1. Why don't the plows get all the way to the curb? I had to clear over over two feet into the road in front of my house all winter... That NARROWS THE STEET plow drivers.

    2. How about the idiots that don't honor alternate parking during the week and plows have to go around them. The should be yanked and towed! Ticketing don't work because no one on my street gets tickets who why alternate park?

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  4. This is a joke. Ha, Ha, Ha. Nothing more than another tax. Has anyone seen the plows on the road when it snows? I think not. The city waits till there is about four inches bef[ore it even thinks about plowing. I think that the only ones getting plowed here are the aldermen.

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  5. We don't even know if we will get snow. Some winters the snow blower doesn't even get used.

    I seriously doubt the plows will be plowing on weekends.

    This is just another ploy to be able to ticket more. WE NEED BUSINESSES IN RACINE TO GENERATE MONEY. We cannot keep going after those who live here with more fees, fines, tickets, taxes, higher costs for water, People are moving. Then what?

    This council is going to go to far one day.

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  6. I guess the last three anonymous authors are as said in a past movie, "stupid is as stupid does. Perhaps that is why they are afraid to identify themselves, right bubs?

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  7. Let's clear a few things up. As inconvenient as it is to have to alternate park, the reasoning behind it is sound. If cars are in the way the street cleaners can not perform their task as expected. Personally, I like a nice clean curb in front of my house. As far as ticketing goes, I occasionally forget and park on the wrong side. But I don't get a ticket for it unless it is a night the street cleaners are scheduled to come down my block. In the past 10 or more times I've forgot, I've only received 1 ticket.

    As far as extending it through weekends (for the months of November through April only) I have no problem with that either, provided the plows start in the middle of the street and plow AWAY from the side that the cars are parked on so as not to plow them in.

    I don't see, in anyway, where this is a tax generating issue. That is just a rediculous statement. It may generate some revenue in citations from those who ignore the law (or occasionally forget about it, like me), but that is hardly a "tax."

    I think this is an acceptable proposal, but the plows have to cooperate too by not plowing cars in on the opposite side of the street and they must plow all the way to within a few inches of the curb, and this should only be implemented during months when heavy snow can be expected.

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  8. I am not any of the above Anon poster's. But I believe the purpose of this to raise additional revenue thru ticketing of vehicles. While it is true in the past few winters our Snow level has been higher..It will soon return to average or even below average levels. Of course once the Winter months are covered, eventually the plan will expand to year round regulations.

    Here's a thought..how about during "Snow emergencies" on weekend we simply ask that people choose to park on on side or the other to help clear the roads. It would only be needed about 3-5 times per winter...

    C'mon lets get the Govt out of our lives as much as possible.

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  9. "C'mon lets get the Govt out of our lives as much as possible."

    Yup. Sell the snow plows. Let drivers clear the streets themselves. The government has no business using our tax money to clear snow from the streets. {sarcasm}

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  10. Good idea, I have a garage.

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  11. I don't see where this is "more government in out lives," it just seems like common sense to me. I hate going out and finding my car with 3 or more feet of snow piled up against it by a plow. I agree with Graham, if the plows plow the snow AWAY from the side that people are parking on that won't happen. That's a big plus for the car owner. Now all we have to do is figure out how to stop them from piling the snow up infront of our driveways and on the street corners.

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  12. Fine then make the rule valid if there are 3 or more inches like other cities do.

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  13. This council has nothing better to do? Garage sales and now this? One person calls and alderman so now its law?

    We need businesses and jobs.

    The plow drivers will leave a huge snow bank in front of driveways and all the cars neatly parked on the opposite side of the road. None of will be able to move. Have these alderman tried to plow a street with cars to one side? Snow will be pushed right up to them and there it will stay unless we want to chance hitting cars.

    The Anon poster calls the other Anon posters stupid. Buy a shovel don't regulate me any further. Ha Ha Ha

    All the people out of work means many more will be walking my neighborhood with shovels looking for work. Now they won't even be able to.

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  14. Maybe they should restrict parking on the streets after 10:00 PM every night.

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  15. Right no parking after 10 pm. Not all of us have drive ways or garages. Plus what about guests? Keep your regulations to yourself. This was supposed to be a free country. Regulating parking is a bit much. No one is being murdered or losing their possessions because I am parked on street.

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  16. "if the plows plow the snow AWAY from the side that people are parking "

    That isn't part of the city's plan, they could do it now 5 days a week.

    On a typical side street, plowing to one side would result in 50% more snow in your driveway and terrace. If the weather doesn't accommodate by falling equally on odd and even days this could accumulate.

    If they really need to do this, include it in the snow emergency rules.

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  17. The city already has a law like this it is called a snow emergency! If you did your homework Racine Post you could have found information about it here!

    http://www.cityofracine.org/depts/public_works/media/pdf/snow_emergency_restrictions.pdf

    So the alderman are just wasting time and our money on trying to make a law that already exists! The whole plow thing is just a front to get it passed’ they really want the revenue from when it doesn’t snow IMOHO! Why can’t the alderman just say we need more money for operating expenses, let’s make this a law.

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  18. 10:01 - I love to make people bite on things. I succeeded in my mission, however I really don't care about people who do not have driveways or garages.

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  19. The biggest part of the problem are the guys that run the snow plows. Most of them are guys that drive the city garbage trucks and have no proper training on how to operate a snow plow. I've complained to the city before about them coming down my street at 30+ mph and throwing snow 6' to 8' beyond the curb and covering the sidwalk I just shoveled with a foot or more of hard, chunky blocks of ice and snow. The response was, "They aren't supposed to do that", but nothing was ever done about it. Then I have the unconstitutional UNIT come along and mail me a citation for not having a cleared sidwalk. I hate the government in this town and the idiots who run it.

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  20. " I hate the government in this town and the idiots who run it."

    Rest assured, we ain't real fond of you, either.

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  21. There are towns where they make you purchase a sticker, in order to be able to park on the street overnight. We could be going to something like that, so don't complain too much.

    Also - I like the suggestion about the 3" rule for plowing, but can we also get that for shoveling the sidewalks as well? I got a ticket once for not shoveling because there was literally just a dusting on the ground (they must've gotten called because the house next door was empty and no one had shoveled from the previous big storm).

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  22. I am glad that, after eliminating all of the burglaries, homicides, shootings, paintballing, etc, the city has finally directed resources to solving this problem.

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  23. Tim the Shrubber8/20/2009 1:02 PM

    I don't understand the opposition here.

    If alternate-side parking is okay 5 days out of the week, what is the big deal in expanding it to all 7 days?

    I swear, some of you sound more like anarchists than advocates of small government. If it is government, you are against it.

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  24. DJ is correct about the snow emergency ordinance. Looks like this is covered if the concern is really to get cars off of the street when it snows.

    I also don't think this is about revenue. If this was the concern, they'd be enforcing this more on the week nights. Ticket every car parked illegally every week night! Problem solved.

    Here's another idea - let's have a new ordinance that requires our city council members to wear "dunce" caps at council meetings every time they pass a new ordinance that replicates something that's in place.

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  25. Anon 2:42, I second that motion. You would think our own government officials would be aware of the current ordinances.

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  26. Kaplan = crybaby

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  27. Sure they could require stickers. Then who will continue to live here? Seriously we need to attract people not drive them away. You cannot keep squeezing money out of the few that are left.

    Bring in businesses. Wasn't Dickert supposed to work on that? Must be somewhere in that plan I haven't seen.

    you may not care whether I have a drive way or garage. But that doesn't give you the right to make it illegal to park on the street.

    No wonder the foreign exchange students are so surprised to see how not Free our country is.

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  28. "No wonder the foreign exchange students are so surprised to see how not Free our country is."

    Oh yeah...exchange students are always saying "I thought America was free until I learned about the street parking ordinances." {sarcsm}

    Give me a break.

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  29. Shrubber.."I swear, some of you sound more like anarchists than advocates of small government. If it is government, you are against it."

    Anarchists??? This from the guy who supports the "Community organizer"?? Truth is yes the more Government control, at the City, County, State and Federal levels are further infringements on our freedoms and Liberty. So yeah excuse me for trying to keep more Laws off of your body, Car, driveway and freedom in general.
    Govt. always starts with "little" things. Gradually the "little" things get bigger, from bicycle licenses to seat belts to smoking, and now Global Warming. If Govt. does less our Taxes will be lower, our Freedoms will be greater..If Racine was the lowest tax freest city in America we would need to build a wall around the city to keep people and businesses OUT.. Right now we need a fence to keep them in!!

    No more LAWS Thanks...Now does that sound like "Anarchy"...sheesh!!!

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  30. Downtown Brown, everything sounds like anarchy when someone has their head up their butt.

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  31. Tim the Shrubber8/21/2009 1:59 PM

    "This from the guy who supports the "Community organizer"??"

    Is that an Obama reference? If so that would be way off base.

    I was fortunate to be able to cast my first vote for Reagan in 1984, I still think of myself as a Reagan Republican, and I have never voted for a Democratic candidate President.

    And that being said, I don't think even Reagan would have had a problem with alternate-side parking on the weekends. (Of course, he probably would have had a problem if the Federal Government were mandating it. Reagan's conservatism was more an extreme form of Federalism, with an emphasis on keeping the Federal Government small and let state and local governments take care of most issues, than an absolute anti-government stance.)

    ---

    "Truth is yes the more Government control, at the City, County, State and Federal levels are further infringements on our freedoms and Liberty."

    That can never be an absolute statement. Some Government and government control is also necessary for liberty. Get rid of all government and the general condition for most people will be just as oppresive as an extreme totalitarian regime. It is all a question of balance...not too much government or too little.

    But, to read your posts I cannot help but think that you find government fundamentally evil. What else is there to conclude, but that you are some sort of anarchist? Do you really think that that reducing all government down to nothing or next to nothing will really lead to a wonderful, free society? If you are just as wacked out as any other utopian dreamer.

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  32. We do not need a duplicate waste of time. Leave it as it is.

    Go out and find businesses that would like to operate here.

    Puhleeze stop sitting on your rear ends thinking of how to tax, fee or regulate the people here into leaving.

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  33. Tim, you go too far. You carry what people say to the Nth degree. Downtown Brown never said, or even alluded to, abolishing ALL federal government. As I understand him, we should return to the original intent of the Founding Fathers, as outlined in the U.S. Constitution, and let the states take care of their internal affairs independently. We don't need the Fed involved in our school systems, state legislation, internal affairs or our citizen's personal lives. Get a grip, dude!

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  34. Exchange students have a idea of what America is like. Then when they get here they learn they had more freedom at home. Our teens get the worst brunt of not being free. Curfews, driving restrictions, only 2 students allowed in stores, etc. So no it is not just about alternate street parking.

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  35. Alternate street parking is just another unnecessary restriction to our freedom.

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  36. Tim the Shrubber8/23/2009 2:55 PM

    "Downtown Brown never said, or even alluded to, abolishing ALL federal government."

    The is known as a straw man. You just destroyed an argument that I never made.


    "As I understand him, we should return to the original intent of the Founding Fathers, as outlined in the U.S. Constitution, and let the states take care of their internal affairs independently. We don't need the Fed involved in our school systems, state legislation, internal affairs or our citizen's personal lives."

    That in no way resembles what Downtown Brown said. He has not been here complaining about the Federal Govenment overstepping its bounds. Instead he is making the claim that his freedom is being infringed upon be the city council extending alternate-side parking rules to the weekends. Did you even read the tread before you left this post?

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  37. Tim the Shrubber8/23/2009 3:06 PM

    "Exchange students have a idea of what America is like. Then when they get here they learn they had more freedom at home."

    I will remember this when people start fleeing the United States for places like France.

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  38. With all the restrictions here what would be the difference.

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  39. Tim, here's your own words in response to Downtown Brown, "GET RID OF ALL GOVERNMENT and the general condition for most people will be just as oppresive as an extreme totalitarian regime." Again, you go too far by implying that Downtown Brown alluded to getting rid of all government. He never said anything at all about getting rid of all government. Yes, I did read it before posting, maybe you should have done the same, and quit putting words in people's mouths.

    I don't know what it means to you (you apparently have difficulty analyzing what you read), but for Downtown Brown to say, "...more Government control, at the City, County, State and Federal levels are further infringements on our freedoms and liberty." And for him to say, "If Govt. does less our taxes will be lower, our Freedoms will be greater..." equates to the original intent of the Founding Fathers; you know, minimal government invasiveness, regardless at what level.

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  40. I am against more regulations. It is utterly unnecessary. We already have a plan for emergency snow removal.

    They already wasted time on rummage sale ordinance. Now we don't have too many rummage sales signs. They are all MOVING SALES. thanks to the economic crisis Racine is in.

    Work on jobs and bringing in real employers to this rummage hell waste land. No more unnecessary regulations.

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  41. I got a ticket last winter for parking on the wrong side during the weekend. I was surprised because I have been living out of town for the last 8 months and had never heard of the new tax on residents. Apparently, neither did anyone else on my block because we all got tickets and not one snowflake fell on the ground.
    Alderman Kaplan, You STINK!
    Glad I don't live in Racine anymore!

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