Liam Beran
James Madison Park parking restrictions
Parking times are restricted at James Madison Park in downtown Madison.
News that the city of Madison was going to start charging for parking at some city parks prompted some irate emails to city hall.
“It is my understanding that the city is looking at charging for folks (families) to park at city parks. REALLY!!!,” one email sent Nov. 14 to alders read. “The referendum was just passed, got all the money you asked for and now this slap in the face. This is truly a shame.”
“Please don’t put additional burdens on our marginalized population,” wrote another. “It’s not a good look.”
“So many people are going to be affected by the tax increase just approved (many of whom do not recognize the impact of what they voted for), that it is unconscionable to ask for more,” wrote another resident.
But the proposal approved Tuesday night by the city council authorizes a pilot program that would allow parking fees at select parks only for special events and commuter parking.
“The main example put forward by the park superintendent was charging for parking on Camp Randall football Saturdays [at Vilas Park],” says Ald. Mike Verveer, a cosponsor of the budget amendment authorizing the pilot. He adds that the idea was never to charge in “every city park parking space.”
“That was never, ever anything close to the intention of this pilot,” Verveer says.
The pilot program would begin in mid-summer 2025 and is expected to net nearly $24,000 annually.
The Parks Division proposed the program when Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, facing the potential failure of a $22 million budget referendum, asked all city agencies in June to cut 5% from their budget requests. Vilas Park, which is less than a mile from Camp Randall, has been the focus of the pilot, Verveer says. Charging for Warner Park parking during Madison Mallards games has also been discussed.
According to a Nov. 14 statement from the Parks Division, initial concepts for the pilot program include charging for parking in the north lot of Vilas during Badgers football games and keeping the south lot parking free. The statement emphasizes ideas put forth for the pilot are “concept only” at this time.
“Other concepts include fee-based parking for a limited number of reserved commuter parking stalls during peak hours in popular lots such as Garner, Olin or Burr Jones,” the statement read. “This concept allows park visitors plenty of free parking to visit a park throughout the day.”
City park parking lots near downtown, Verveer says, often have commuters park there “all day” and take other forms of transit to their work. Though the charging for commuter parking is still an early concept, the idea would be to identify “commuter parking-impacted parks,” Verveer says, and set time limits during the weekdays so commuters cannot park half a day or all day for free without a special permit.
