Committee pauses Panther Trail parking ban, opts for warning signs and outreach

At a City of Monona committee meeting, members voted to take no immediate action on a proposal to restrict parking on a stretch of Panther Trail but directed staff to install warning signs and notify affected residents.

The motion to take “no action at this time” followed public comment from several residents who both supported and opposed a parking restriction. Resident Joseph Durham urged the group to “try an interim solution before you take away some of the money” and cited safety concerns for elderly neighbors and winter mobility. Resident Haley Shealy, in written comment read into the record, said she and her husband “would love to see one-side parking, one-side no parking be set” and preferred the south side be restricted. Another resident who lives at 301 Hampton Trail objected to the restriction, saying there is “no regular congestion” and that many affected households are working-class and rely on on-street parking.

The committee discussed available data and enforcement history. Staff reported there are no recorded traffic accidents at the location and that police “support some form of parking restriction for reasons that some of the residents have stated,” but acknowledged the supporting evidence is limited. Committee members noted the site’s sun glare at certain times of year and that similar hills exist elsewhere in Monona without restrictions.

Rather than adopt a parking ban, the committee approved a motion to take no action and directed staff to pursue less-restrictive first steps: install a warning sign (staff-approved wording such as “Slow — hill ahead”), monitor conditions, and send a letter to all properties in the proposed zone explaining the committee’s position and the next steps. One committee member said staff may follow up and return the item to the committee if conditions change.

The committee’s decision distinguishes discussion (resident concerns about safety, access, and equity), direction (staff to place warning signage and to notify residents), and formal action (motion to take no action at this time). The committee recorded the public comments and agreed to reassess if additional incidents or new data appear.