The Village of Shorewood is considering selling overnight parking permits online to eliminate the hassle of going to the police station to purchase them. We'd like to hear your views on how you would improve parking in Shorewood. Is it easy to park in the Village? Let us know what you think.
(17) Read All ResponsesI love the idea of buying them five at a time, but to raise the price and charge for online purchases may defeat the cause. I'd rather go in and pay $3 a night and deal with the hassle then pay $4.5/night. At that rate I might as well pay for the outrageous lot across the street that allows me to park there when it snows. I also think selling the permissions for street parking to apartment buildings is great, but if your landlord declines it how is that fair to the tenant? My landlord declined it because he has a lot for $75/month. I've learned from my naivete as this was my first apartment in milwaukee, and I'll be sure to look into parking situations more in depth; I guess I never thought a village would it intentionally create such a nuisance for its residents.
I am a resident of Shorewood for over 30 years. I work for a business in Shorewood. My pet peeve with parking is that 2 hr parking in the Village is patrolled with a diligence that you can set your watch by. However when I have need to use the library or go to the village hall, I can rarely find a parking space in that public lot on the first drive through. Those spaces are 4 hr spots. I am really not convinced that they are being occupied by patrons of the library or village residents doing business at Village hall. Village Hall has a number of designated employee spots which are always filled. This begs the question of who is occupying the other parking spots. My suggestion would be to make the lot spaces two hours, patrol and ticket with the same diligence used on Oakland Ave.
While I think the online process is a significant operational improvement, I can't believe I pay $7,500/year in property taxes and can't park my car overnight in front of my house. We are new to the Village and didn't know this prior to purchasing out home.
I've lived in the Village for 17 years and rarely had a problem with daytime parking in either the residential or commerical districts. I believe this is primarily an issue about rental properties and overnight parking. In regard to rental property owners with limited parking choices for their tenants... I certainly am sympathetic. However, you purchased these properties at a price that factored in the limited availability of parking. Learn to live within the constraints present at the time of your purchase decision. My humble opinion is that our 'car culture' diminishes many qualities of life and that we should discourage the introduction of yet more automobiles into Shorewood.
I've lived (rented) in Shorewood 20+ years and love it here. However, the parking situation for tenants has always been archaic. Most of the apt. bldgs in the Village were built in the 30's and 40's when very few had a vehicle, therefore, parking was not an issue. Step into the new century and everyone has a vehicle. Wow, newsflash! Times have changed but the Village is stuck in a time zone 50+ years ago. You can buy a monthly permit for $45.00 to park somewhere within a few blocks of where you live and have ridiculous restrictions of what times you can park. You can buy a $3.00 permit each night to park on the street, touted as a "convenience" to the resident. You get 10 free nights per year, but you have to use them first before you can purchase the $3.00 permit. The lightbulb went off in the village board room to make it even more convenient for the tenants, charge them $4.00 a night but the permit can be purchased weekly on-line, but for an additional $0.50 for the "on-line convenience". That adds up to a mind blowing $82.00 a month for the privilege of parking on the street. Wow, thanks but no thanks! Move to Milwaukee and pay only $5.00 a month, now that's a bargain. The village should keep the current pricing at $3.00 but sell them weekly. That's $60.00 per month, still a rip but better than what is proposed. If the new parking plan is passed, it clearly shows that the tenants of this village are being discriminated against, the new parking regulations are aimed directly at a specific group of people. The new campaign in Shorewood is D2D, Drive to Distinction. Maybe if you're a homeowner, one might feel that, and by the way, homeowners have driveways, park in them! I think the better definition of D2D is Drive to Destruction, because that's what is happening in this once, long ago, beautiful peaceful village.
By limiting parking options in Shorewood, charging for parking permits, and enthusiastic writing of parking tickets --- Shorewood imposes a Regressive Tax upon Those with the Least Income ....
I think it is utterly ridiculous that I have to pay $60 now and perhaps $84 dollars per month to park on the street. Milwaukee charges $5 per month for street parking. The east side of Milwaukee and Shorewood seem to have about the same crime rate and yet I have to pay more than 10 times the cost for the privilege of parking my car on my street. I do not see any reason for this except discrimination against renters. My rent pays my landlords taxes. I don't have a garage attached to my apartment building so I must park on the street or walk distances near high crime areas at night to get to my home. I do not feel safe walking past the area of Oakland Ave. near Pick and Save and Walgreens where I have seen strange transient behavior and multiple arrests. Seriously I would like to bring a class action lawsuit against the village of Shorewood for blatant discrimination towards its renter community. I am so disgusted I have thought I should move 8 blocks south for a cheeper apartment, reasonable available parking and the same crime rate. Thanks for not much shorewood..... Kristin Ede
The monthly parking permit fee of $45.00/mo is outrageously high! Granted, this isn't Milwaukee, but that fee should be much lower - this isn't Chicago either! When added to the cost of monthly rent, it becomes a financial burden or simply unaffordable for many residents. Unfortunately, in today's world, cars are a necessity for many, not merely a luxury. The raise in the overnight parking fee should not be raised, in addition, why the extra $.50 for computer access? Good Grief! If anything, there should be a price break for using the computer! These over-the-top monthly and overnight parking fees certainly do discriminate against renters which is sad, as renters support Shorewood businesses and civic activities just like homeowners do. Why make it more financially difficult to live here? - Shorewood residents are already paying extraordinarily high taxes or high rental fees. How many of the Village Board members have to pay these fees? None, I suspect. How easy for those not affected to vote in favor of these very high overnight parking fees.
For most of Shorewood, there is no parking problem. Even for Oakland Avenue, parking issues are primarily limited to overnight parking in high density apartment areas where owners do not provide parking. The Village has taken steps (increasing overnight parking), but not all permits are taken. As the Village redevelops Oakland and Capitol, they will address overnight parking and improve it.
SO for most of Shorewood because this is not a problem. SO the people it is a problem for can continue to pay through the nose for the PROBLEM. Thanks again for the solution. Kristin
Bottom line Shorewood. You really don't have to charge for parking here. If you want to identify cars belonging to Shorewood residents you could provide a monthly sticker at a nominal fee. Since money only talks here, and because it is seen as only a problem to a few of us, this is my solution. I have decided that my money will no longer talk to Pick and Save, Walgreens or my rare trip for ice cream at Culver's. I estimate that I spend a least $2000.00 a year at these stores alone. This is my protest against a community that regards its renters as peons. For Shorewood to ask us to pay $720 now and perhaps nearly $1000.00 per year especially in such terrible economic times, no longer makes me angry but makes me feel ashamed to be a resident. Kristin
People! We seem to be forgetting here that the Village Board governs Shorewood at our discretion. I see no reason why a referendum couldn't be on the next ballot that allows for residential parking with no restrictions AT NO FEE!
Shorewood will gradually start to drive many young familys and young professionals out of the area if they keep asking for money. Way to be greedy Shorewood!
Problem with a referendum is renters don't vote in municipal elections, by and large.
Absolutely ridiculous overnight parking rules and regulations. The fact that you must go to the police station to get a $3 pass every night is inconvenient and discriminatory toward renters. And then to say that 4.50 per night online will fix it? LAME! Get a real solution Shorewood officials! Like a monthly or bi monthly pass for small fee. Honestly, Shorewood is a great area but the parking situation is a good reason to move south of edgewood.
Shorewood is ridiculous. I work for the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. No parking is provided for employees, so employees are forced to purchase parking either through the University or from non-University businesses. The least expensive parking is $60 per month. My current parking site is 1/2 mile away from the Hospital and adds an additional 40 minutes of walking to my day. If you have a reason to leave work at any time during the day you must allot this additional time to walk to pick up your vehicle. Forget about ever parking on the street. The police force blatantly tickets up to ten minutes before the 2-hour limit is expired. However, all of the contruction workers who are currently parking on Marshall Court seem to be excluded from that time limit as they park in the 2 hour parking spots, 8 or more hours daily. Bottom line: people who have to work in the Shorewood area lose money. I am requesting a transfer to a different UW Clinic where I will not be forced to deduct $720from my annual wages for the privlilege of working in an area that makes money based on my unfortunate location of employment.
Wow!!! The Village of Shorewood having an online parking permit option?? Welcome to 1998!!! Horray! Please!!! We have waited long enough.