Milwaukee Ald. Robert Bauman says the spirit of giving this Christmas season should not have to include giving to city parking meters.

Ald. Bauman, chair of the Common Council's Public Works Committee, wants the Commissioner of Public Works to stop enforcement of parking meter regulations on Christmas Day, New Year's Day and the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday on Jan. 15, 2007.

"Most residents assume that the parking meter regulations with respect to hours of operation do not apply on holidays," said Ald. Bauman, adding that that is not the case. "In the spirit of the holiday season the City of Milwaukee should offer this present to those who have to plug the parking meters on every other weekday of the year," said Ald. Bauman.

A resolution urging the Department of Public Works will be presented for adoption to the Common Council when it meets at 9 a.m. tomorrow,
Dec. 12.

In other traffic news, the Downtown Alderman also is encouraging slower driving and enhanced pedestrian safety throughout Milwaukee.

A new proposal would create a system in which neighborhoods could ask the city to construct a device, such as a mini roundabout or a "speed hump" on dangerous streets. A speed hump functions much like a speed bump but is less jarring, and does not significantly impair snowplows and emergency vehicles.

Ald. Bauman said the ordinance is a tool for residents to gain control of busy and dangerous streets, including ones used by drivers trying to avoid red lights.

In two spots in his district, speed humps have been in place on a trial basis since August. So far they have received "rave reviews," the alderman said.

The city still is refining the proposal, but under it residents would be given various choices. A speed hump costs about $3,000, while a mini roundabout, or traffic circle -- a raised concrete curb at the center of an intersection -- costs nearly $10,000.

This measure is expected to be approved by the Public Works Committee on Dec. 12 and will be taken up by the full Common Council that morning.

The procedures could be in place by Jan. 1. "People want safer streets," Ald. Bauman said. "The ordinance is a safety measure not only for drivers, but for residents and pedestrians as well, and it could significantly help improve the quality of life in many neighborhoods."

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