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Well, I would have a couple responses to your posts BuckT. First of all, to your point that Wauwatosa may want to "discourage" renting in favor of ownership... it is not the business of the city to discourage or encourage any one particular type of ownership. The city streets are a common space that is paid for by everyone, and should be accessible to everyone. Especially when you consider that most rental properties tend to group in certain areas, "property owners" who tend to frown upon street parking are usually far away from most rentals, and therefore really wouldn't even see the problem.

As to your point about knowing the rules before you rent a particular property... people's situations often times change after you sign a lease. For instance, a single person who didn't need extra parking may end up in a serious relationship, and need the parking afterwards. A single car family may end up needing a second job, and second car at some point. There are lots of situations like this. In the end, creating a reasonable parking law, perhaps with a paid permit, is a sensible accommodation that can help many citizens of this city, without being burdensome.

Nick and Renter, you do make some good points. Nice posts.

I do have a few more brief comments.
Another reason the city is probably not more accomodating of street parking is that (and I am guessing here, I have no data to back this up) the majority of people who want/need to park on the street are renters and I believe Tosa is trying to discourage rental properties in favor of owner/occupied units that tend to need fewer parking spaces. I could be totally wrong there, but it may be right??

My next comment will sound harsh, but it is probably true.

For all people who need to park on the street (due to no parking available at thier residence); did this law come into effect after you moved in? Because if not and you moved into your current residence while this no nighttime parking was a law....then you only have yourself to blame for the tickets you get. Yes, Tosa could consider changing the law/becoming more accomodating of parking needs but until that time, you are breaking the law.

Nobody forced you move into a place with no available parking, that was your choice.

Perhaps if all the renters & landlords pushed the city for overnight parking it would get done. Tell your alderman/alderwoman about the issue and see if they can get in debated again in the city council.

Will I personally support it,no. But lets bring it to a vote and see what happens.

I tend to agree with your Renter, and not just because having overnight parking in Wauwatosa would make life a bit more convenient for me. I think the most important reason that it should be allowed, at least on a permit basis, is because some people simply need it, it is unfair, and I'd go so far as to say immoral, to not give people an opportunity to be right with the law.

People have cars, and not all residences have reasonable numbers of parking spaces. They have to put their car somewhere, and not coming up with a system where people would have an opportunity to do a legal thing is taking advantage of people for pure monetary gain, while at the same time eroding people's respect for the law.

Safer and easier to patrol, from what? Nobody is deciding not to commit crimes in Tosa because they cannot park there overnight.

I live with my girlfriend in a one bedroom apartment in a four-family unit with only one parking spot available to us, and no options nearby to pick up an extra space (ie businesses, extra spots behind other apartments buildings, etc). Since Jan. 1st 2009 I have paid $250 in overnight parking tickets (10 tickets in about 6 weeks) and this is not unusual; I would estimate I receive about six tickets a month. This has been going on for nearly a year (her lease finally ends in April).

We are moving next month and have chosen a duplex in Milwaukee, just east of Tosa, largely because we are fed up with the uninviting attitude here. If I live here in Tosa, work in Tosa, spend all my money at grocery stores and restaurants in Tosa, and will be attending medical school in Tosa at the Medical College of Wisconsin this fall, why should I not also have the privilege of buying an overnight parking permit from Tosa?

Cheesehead is right, and BuckT is half right: this is about the money the city makes off writing tickets, and the (mistaken) impression that these overnight parking restrictions somehow improve quality of life for city residents. Offering year-long overnight permits would solve the issue for renters without opening the city up to any of the mythical crime concerns, but they are not offered because they would never bring in as much money overall as restricting parking and then writing a bunch of tickets.

I go out of my way now to avoid Tosa's grocery stores/restaurants/shops, not because I don't like them but because I am kind of disgruntled about all the parking tickets I have to pay. I buy the things I need from surrounding cities. I realize that is probably going beyond the level of most people who are annoyed with the parking restrictions, but my feeling is sort of 'if they don't want me, then I don't want them'.

I hope the city comes to its senses some day, but the truth is that right now, I am just looking forward to handing over my hard-earned money to the city of Milwaukee and actually getting something in return: a permit to park overnight on the streets, like any other normal, law abiding citizen.

Safer and easier to patrol, from what? Nobody is deciding not to commit crimes in Tosa because they cannot park there overnight.

I live with my girlfriend in a one bedroom apartment in a four-family unit with only one parking spot available to us, and no options nearby to pick up an extra space (ie businesses, extra spots behind other apartments buildings, etc). Since Jan. 1st 2009 I have paid $250 in overnight parking tickets (10 tickets in about 6 weeks) and this is not unusual; I would estimate I receive about six tickets a month. This has been going on for nearly a year (her lease finally ends in April).

We are moving next month and have chosen a duplex in Milwaukee, just east of Tosa, largely because we are fed up with the uninviting attitude here. If I live here in Tosa, work in Tosa, spend all my money at grocery stores and restaurants in Tosa, and will be attending medical school in Tosa at the Medical College of Wisconsin this fall, why should I not also have the privilege of buying an overnight parking permit from Tosa?

Cheesehead is right, and BuckT is half right: this is about the money the city makes off writing tickets, and the (mistaken) impression that these overnight parking restrictions somehow improve quality of life for city residents. Offering year-long overnight permits would solve the issue for renters without opening the city up to any of the mythical crime concerns, but they are not offered because they would never bring in as much money overall as restricting parking and then writing a bunch of tickets.

I go out of my way now to avoid Tosa's grocery stores/restaurants/shops, not because I don't like them but because I am kind of disgruntled about all the parking tickets I have to pay. I buy the things I need from surrounding cities. I realize that is probably going beyond the level of most people who are annoyed with the parking restrictions, but my feeling is sort of 'if they don't want me, then I don't want them'.

I hope the city comes to its senses some day, but the truth is that right now, I am just looking forward to handing over my hard-earned money to the city of Milwaukee and actually getting something in return: a permit to park overnight on the streets, like any other normal, law abiding citizen.

I don't want to see over-night parking on the streets. I think it makes them seem safer and easier to patrol by police. It is easier for plows to do a good job clearing the streets instead of having to come back again later to do the other side. It makes garbage pick-up easier/faster. Plus I think it looks better. Yeah, I said it, it looks better.
I have duplexes on my street and they find a way to not park on the street overnight. Plus the apartments at the end of the block have a lot behind them for parking. Any new apartments constructed should have to provide a lot or underground parking.
You are right 2RottieGuy, we don't want to look like some Milwaukee areas. That is my honest (maybe snooty) opinion:-)

If Wauwatosa allowed nore over-nite parking on city streets, an important revenue generating source would dry up. It's called parking tickets.

Follow the money Nick, follow the $$$$.