Alternate Side Parking – Background
Typically, alternate side parking rules go into effect on November 1, meaning that all vehicles need to vacate one side of the street each night. Historically, this proved to be an issue around the UW-L campus, where street parking is extremely limited even under normal conditions.
Last year, the La Crosse City Council enacted a trial, creating an exempt area from the 'normal' alternate side parking rules. This exempt area extended roughly around the campus area (Please see the linked map for exact constraints of the exempt area).
Under the trial, parking is allowed on both sides of the street in the exempt area, unless the City declares a snow or leaf removal period. Once a removal period is posted, alternate side parking rules take effect in the area.Notice of a removal period is posted on the City's web page seven hours in advance.The city also offers a text-message service, in which interested people can have alerts about alternate side parking sent directly to their cell phones. This is an opt-in program.
Those affect by the trial policy were notified of it prior to November 1st (the date that alternate side has traditionally taken effect). Notifications were made via flyers placed under windshield wipers, a campus-wide e-mail and an article in the Racquet, among other means.
However, problems have arisen with the trial of the exemption area. Cars have not been moved on the nights when alternate side parking has been in effect. According to one source, in the span of 2 nights about 200 parking tickets were issued in the exempt -- mostly all to UWL students. The city sent out a notice via text message and on their website to announce the enforcement of alternate side parking during those 2 nights. However, the city is finding that few people are signing up for the text message system, and that alerts about alternate side parking are not getting out.
Many feel that the text message system does not work and the city they is eager to try something new but needs assistance. The trial will be up for review in May, and, if the trial continues on this path, another option will likely be considered. This includes rising ticket prices to encourage higher awareness of the alternate side policy. Students have repeatedly demonstrated that an alternative to the ‘traditional’ alternate side parking is necessary. This exempt zone trial is the most viable option for improving the traditional system to better-fit students’ street parking needs.
Questions for Discussion:
What did you know previously about the Alternate Side Parking Exempt Zone Trial? How did you learn this?
What do you feel is the most effective method to inform students of the trial?
How can we help ensure that this trial is a success, in order to help alleviate students’ parking problems associated with the traditional alternate side parking policy?