NEWS
New technology increases number of parking tickets, towings
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Also by Julia Kraschnewski:
- 2,000 rally for peace on Bascom (March 6, 2003)
- UW students match national trends, have more mental illness, depression (February 13, 2003)
- New technology increases number of parking tickets, towings (December 12, 2002)
- 'Weighing' in the New Year (January 17, 2003)
- No traffic fatalities in Madison on New Year's Eve (January 17, 2003)
Related Stories:
- MPD warns of towing, tickets during break (December 4, 2001)
- MPD planning for Halloween crowd on Oct. 31 (October 8, 2002)
- City issues 1,000 parking tickets during snowstorm (March 5, 2002)
- Winter parking regulations begin tonight (November 14, 2002)
by Julia Kraschnewski
Thursday, December 12, 2002
The Madison Police Department has collected more than $100,000 in parking tickets and towed more than 230 cars since March 2002, according to MPD Captain George Silverwood.
Silverwood said these numbers increased from last year, something he attributes to the department’s use of a new “Autocite” computer ticket-writer, which also began in March.
The Autocite is a handheld computer officers take with them when giving parking tickets. When a license plate number is entered into the computer, any outstanding tickets are identified, a tool that has led to more towing from outstanding tickets, Silverwood said.
Silverwood said residents of downtown Madison, where many students live, get more tickets than do residents of other parts of the city because of a lack of street parking places available.
He said many downtown residents park in restricted areas or leave their car on the street for more than 48 hours, thus violating street-permit rules.
Silverwood said students can buy street permits, but because more permits are given out than spaces available, there is no guarantee for parking.
UW senior Jim Wayne has a street permit but said finding parking is not easy and alternatives are pricey.
“The street permit was only $20, but it’s impossible to find a spot, and paying for a parking spot is ridiculously expensive,” Wayne said.
Wayne said he has gotten several parking tickets this year, totaling more than $200.
Last year, Wayne said he was towed for outstanding tickets.
Silverwood said outstanding tickets are the No. 1 reason for towing cars downtown. He said it’s rare that a vehicle is towed if it has fewer than 10 outstanding tickets — something he said racks up a hefty fee.
“On average, a car that gets towed has about $400 worth of tickets and late fees prior to its towing,” Silverwood said.
Silverwood said towing adds another $50 to the bill of unpaid tickets. He suggested that if students are leaving town, they should find an off-street location to park their car, or it may not be there when they get back.
“Over semester break, it will snow, your car will be buried, it will get ticketed, and you may get towed,” Silverwood said.
Although he doesn’t foresee any long-term solutions for the parking problem downtown, Silverwood suggests people pay their tickets soon after they get them so they don’t add up.
He said tickets can be paid online and that the Internet address is on the back of the computerized tickets.
Silverwood said the best piece of advice he can give students with cars is to find a parking spot to lease for the year.
“I realize parking downtown is at a premium,” he said. “But students should make plans to have a parking spot. If you can’t afford a spot, you can’t afford a car on campus.”
Paying for a spot makes sense, Silverwood said, because it’s guaranteed parking and it could actually save money in the long run.
“If you’re paying lots of tickets, you’re probably paying more than you would for your monthly parking,” Silverwood said.
Wayne said although parking spots are not available at his apartment, there is a nearby building that offers parking for $110 each month, but said these spots go fast.
Although he said it’s expensive, Wayne said the convenience of his own parking spot may be worth the cost.
“I’d even pay $150 each month to avoid driving around the block for half an hour trying to find a place to park,” Wayne said.
