City Banning Late-Night Parking On Brady Street

Brady Street in 2024. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The City of Milwaukee is taking a big step to get vehicles off of Brady Street.

It’s not pedestrianization, but parking will be prohibited on a portion of E. Brady Street during peak bar hours as city officials and businesses attempt to address loitering, violence and other late-night problems in the popular entertainment district.

Starting this weekend, parking will be prohibited on Brady Street between N. Humboldt Ave. and N. Farwell Ave. from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

The restrictions will remain in effect during a six-week Summer Safety Pilot Program organized by the Brady Street Business Improvement District, the Milwaukee Police Department, area businesses, residents, private security partners and Ald. Alex Brower.

Removing parked vehicles is intended to make it more difficult for people to congregate outside the corridor’s bars and restaurants during the busiest late-night hours. Loitering outside the establishments, particularly around closing time, has become a continuing concern for businesses and nearby residents.

The restrictions are also expected to give police and security personnel a clearer view of the street and more room to respond to problems.

The broader safety initiative was launched last week and is intended to address reckless driving, loud music, loitering, underage drinking, open intoxicants and other disruptive behavior.

“Throughout the six-week pilot, the BID and its partners will monitor community feedback, public safety trends and operational impacts,” Brower said in a statement Monday.

The parking restrictions were added to the initiative following discussions among the participating organizations, according to the alderman. Officials will evaluate whether the overnight ban was effective after the pilot concludes.

Other aspects of the proposal include a greater police and security presence, increased coordination among businesses and residents, enforcement of existing city ordinances, public safety messaging and outreach to businesses.

The new measures follow a series of violent incidents near the Lower East Side commercial district.

Three 27-year-olds were shot shortly before 2 a.m. on June 23 in the 1600 block of N. Van Buren St., just south of E. Brady St. One of the victims later died. Police continue to seek the shooter.

Three days later, a person was critically injured in an early-morning shooting near E. Brady St. and N. Farwell Ave.

The Van Buren Street shooting took place outside of a dense bar cluster found on the east side of the street. The parking restrictions are only targeted at the eastern end of the street.

Brower issued a statement Friday condemning the shootings and calling for state and federal lawmakers to adopt universal background checks, waiting periods and other firearm restrictions.

“The unfortunate reality is that we have a proliferation of guns in our community, and people have become too quick to use them to resolve an argument or dispute,” said the alderman.

The safety pilot was already being developed before the two shootings, but Brower cited the initiative as one of the steps being taken locally to reduce violence and other disruptive behavior.

The District 3 alderman will host a public safety town hall July 15 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Falcon Bowl, 801 E. Clarke St. A second town hall focused on the results of the Brady Street pilot is expected after the six-week program concludes.

The initiative is the latest effort to improve safety along the busy corridor.

In December, the city converted the traffic signals at Brady Street and Humboldt Avenue into flashing red lights, effectively creating a four-way stop. The pilot is intended to reduce speeding and red-light violations while making the intersection safer for pedestrians.

The Department of Public Works is also developing longer-term traffic-calming improvements for Brady Street. Raised crosswalks, speed tables and pinned-on curb bump-outs are under consideration, with construction targeted for later this year.

Those projects are primarily aimed at traffic safety, while the new overnight parking restrictions focus on the crowds and disruptive activity that occur during peak nightlife hours.

“Following the pilot period, a public town hall meeting will be held to gather additional input and evaluate the program’s effectiveness,” Brower said.

Less than a mile to the southwest, city officials are exploring fencing off the Water Street bar district to curtail similar violence associated with loitering.

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