Paid street parking plan around UW-L, WTC still a go after 5-2 vote

A city council committee in La Crosse has voted not to kill a paid, on-street parking pilot program for college neighborhoods.

The vote Wednesday was 5-2 against prohibiting the idea of paying $1 an hour for parking in specific zones around both the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Western Technical College.

Mayor Tim Kabat argued in favor of letting the program move ahead, saying that it is needed to raise revenue for other parking improvement projects in La Crosse.

Judiciary committee chair Andrea Richmond said sending the plan to the full city council will let city leaders collect more information on the pay-for-parking idea.

Committee member Justice Weaver, who represents one student neighborhood, asked for a delay in the plan a few weeks ago.

Now, however, he says students are “more OK” with the plan than they had been.

City parking director Jim Flottmeyer pointed out that the idea is to try the program for a year around the schools.