- In Oshkosh, 70% of the money made from parking tickets come from overnight parking violations.
- The transportation committee recommends the current rules stay the same.
- City council will discuss the transportation committee recommendation at the Tuesday night council meeting.
Wyatt Gleissner is a long-time resident of Oshkosh. He spoke at the city council meeting on Feb.11, asking the city to change its parking rules.
“I think they’re taking it to extreme measures, for such a small thing,” he says. “The no parking clause, it’s ridiculous.”
Gleissner also posted a critique of the overnight parking rules on Facebook.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous that there is no more street parking on either side of the street from 2 am-5 am,” he wrote. “The city needs to have better priorities than giving out pointless parking tickets to the residents that make this city what it is. Tell me why the city council… you make it harder to live here every day.”
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“People get pretty heated,” Gleissner says.
Currently, you can only park overnight in Oshkosh with a permit. An annual permit is $120.
The city gives out a limited number of permits per block to ensure enough space for every car, according to transportation director, Jim Collins.
You can also request a one-night exemption through the police department three times a month. You must make the request before 1 a.m.
Paul Proteau is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He says he hasn’t had an issue requesting an exception.
“My girlfriend lives about two blocks away, and sometimes I’ll park out in front of her house, and I have to file that form,” he says. “For the most part, it’s been pretty good… In general, it seems like it works for most people.”
Gleissner says the restrictions could encourage drunk driving if a person does not make the request by 1 a.m.
“It’s kind of contradictory– do you want someone to drive home drunk or are you just going to ticket them for doing the right thing?” he says.
If you park between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. without a permit or exemption, you can be ticketed $30. If you don’t pay the fine within ten days, the price jumps $15. If you don’t pay within 30 days, your vehicle registration is suspended and the fee increases an additional $20.
According to the Department of Transportation study released last year, 13,893 parking tickets were issued between 2-5 am in 2023, bringing in over $223,000.
The total revenue from parking violations in 2023 was $315,728, so overnight parking tickets made up 70% of the total ticket revenue.
Collins says the revenue is factored into each year’s budget.
"If we didn't have that revenue, it would have to be made up for somewhere else, which would most likely be taxes,” he says. “That revenue that comes in from parking permit sales and enforcement reduces your taxes basically."
The Department of Transportation conducted a survey last year to determine public opinion of the current overnight parking rules.
The survey results were presented to the transportation committee in December. The results show 65% of those who responded see little to no impact from the current parking rules.
It also found, however, that 47% oppose the current overnight parking restriction.
The transportation committee and Collins both recommend city council keep the rules as they are.
Collins says allowing overnight parking could lead to abandoned vehicles, narrow streets and safety risks, and interference with city operations.
“There isn’t a compelling reason to change the current overnight parking regulations,” Collins says.
City Council will discuss the recommendation and determine the next course of action at the Tuesday night meeting.
