One-way Main St. a parking impediment, officials say

Should West Main Street in front of the Ozaukee County Administration Center in downtown Port Washington remain a one-way road heading east? Or should it be one-way heading west? Or returned to a two-way street?

That question is being considered by the city’s Traffic Safety Committee, which earlier this month held off on making a recommendation to the Common Council.

Ald. Deb Postl, a member of the committee, said several business owners who were discussing parking issues noted that the current configuration hinders people from parking on the street.

“It does everything possible to deter people from finding parking spots,” Postl said.

Most people try to access the street from Wisconsin Street but can’t because it’s one way heading east, not west, she noted. Simply changing the direction traffic flows would make a big difference.

“I certainly think changing the direction prioritizes people shopping downtown instead of prioritizing people going to Ozaukee County,” City Engineer Roger Strohm said.

The street was a two-way road until about 2010, when former Ozaukee County Administrator Tom Meaux asked that it be changed to allow for more parking for county visitors, Ald. Paul Neumyer, a member of the committee, said.

Striping the street for two-way traffic would result in the loss of seven parking spaces. A parking study conducted by Strohm showed that “with the possible exception of two Wednesdays a month, it appears that the loss of seven spots would not impact county operations,” the study states.

However, the committee report notes that while County Administrator Jason Dzwinel did not have a preference about which way a one-way street would run, he did not want any loss of parking.

If the city changes the direction of the road, Postl asked, what type of parking would be offered on Main Street.

It would likely be angle parking on one side and parallel parking on the other, Strohm said.

Police Chief Kevin Hingiss, a committee member, asked if there could be angle parking on both sides of the street.

That, said committee member and Ald. John Sigwart, would be dangerous.

But, Hingiss said he believes the parking lines are longer than needed, making the street look narrower than needed.

Committee members agreed to hold off on a decision until their May meeting so Strohm could lay out a parking plan for two-way traffic.