Brewers
pledge action on traffic jams
June
9, 2008 -- The Milwaukee Brewers
are pledging to take steps to prevent additional
pre-game traffic jams like the kind that
have frustrated Brewers' fans trying to
get to Miller Park on time and made getting
into and out of the Story Hill neighborhood
by car nearly impossible.
"It's
not something we would stand idly by and
accept," said Matt Kenny, director
of events services for the team.
Traffic before the June 1 Brewers
game was backed up on Story Parkway from
Mitchell Blvd. to Bluemound Rd.
Team
officials met last week with Ald. Michael
Murphy, who lives very near the stadium,
and will meet soon with police to discuss
traffic issues, Kenny said.
Traffice
before at least two games -- the Fiday,
May 9 tilt against the St. Louis Cardinals
and the Sunday, June 1 contest against the
Houston Astros -- caused huge backups on
Bluemound Rd. and Story Parkway.
It also was backed up on Bluemound
Rd. from Story Parkway west beyond Hawley
Rd.
"I've
seen people get out of control" with
anger because traffic isn't moving, Murphy
said. He said he has been "very disappointed"
with the way stadium traffic has been handled
thus far this year.
The
Brewers pay for police overtime for services
related to security at the games. The Brewers
could request -- and pay for -- traffic
control before the games, Murphy said.
Traffic was backed up from Story
east for several blocks along Bluemound
Rd. before the game.
His
message to the Brewers: "You've got
to do something up there."
Kenny
said any needed changes would be made.
"We
can change on the fly when necessary,"
he said.
Hundreds
of Story Hill parking violations on opening
day
April
11, 2006 -- The city issued hundreds
of parking tickets on the Milwaukee Brewers
Opening Day last week, and most of them
were handed out in Story Hill, according
to a Department of Public Works official.
"My
staff said it was in the hundreds, at least
300," said Dorinda Floyd, DPW administrative
services director. The city's parking checkers
work for DPW. "Hopefully, it was an
anomaly."
The
city dispatched two parking checkers to
work the area full-time that day, she said.
A second shift also worked, she said.
"This
one was one of the worst ones," she
said.
It's
not quite clear why there was such a large
number of scofflaws, but Floyd said she
was told the Brewers parking lots filled
up early, which did not leave a lot of legal
options for game-goers who arrived late.
"The
lot filled up, then everyone parked in the
street," she said.
There
generally is no parking on neighborhood
streets for one hour before to one hour
after Miller Park events. The fine for violating
the restriction is $30.
Ald.
Michael Murphy said he had received complaints
from neighborhood residents about the illegal
parking; he said he also heard complaints
from neighborhood residents who received
parking tickets.
Floyd
said there were a "hodge podge"
of parking violations, including a few of
blocking driveways.
Story
Hill Neighborhood Association Board member
Gerard Froh said if $30 fines did not discourage
the illegal parkers, "perhaps the fines
need to be raised if the regulations are
flouted so badly."
