Janesville adopts wider "anti‑cruising" powers for Milton Avenue to reduce congestion and safety risks

The Janesville City Council moved to adopt file ordinance number 2025‑911 on Jan. 27, 2025, amending the city's anti‑cruising laws to expand enforceable hours and create vehicle impoundment, storage and disposal authority tied to reckless driving and nonregistration violations. The measure was offered following a police presentation that said cruising on Milton Avenue creates traffic congestion, safety hazards and a drain on department resources.

City officials and the police department said the ordinance is intended as a tool to reduce recurring traffic congestion on a defined stretch of Milton Avenue and adjacent connectors. "This ordinance amendment is a resource. It's not an end all change," Janesville Police Chief Chad Pearson told the council, adding the department expects to begin with an education campaign and signage before moving to heavier enforcement.

Police staff outlined the problem with multi‑year incident data. According to the presentation, the department recorded 2,497 total traffic calls for service on Milton Avenue in 2022, with roughly 33% of those occurring between the hours the department has identified as cruise time (7 p.m. to 1 a.m.). In 2023 and 2024 the department reported similar patterns: 2,226 calls with 36% in cruise hours in 2023 and a comparable share in 2024. Chief Pearson said the incidents include traffic complaints, disorderly conduct and trespassing, and that the activity increases demand for overtime, mutual‑aid and grant resources.

The ordinance changes the cruising definition and associated enforcement window (the presentation said the city is changing the relevant hourly window from 9 p.m. to 7 p.m.) and adds discretionary authority for officers to impound vehicles when reckless driving or nonregistration violations occur in a context that justifies removal. On enforcement, Pearson said impoundment will not be automatic: "It's discretionary, decision making by the officers that are enforcing those matters," and officers will consider the totality of circumstances before towing a vehicle.

Pearson also described operational steps the department plans to use: targeted patrols, point monitoring and automatic license plate readers on squad cars to document repeated passes. He emphasized an initial public‑education phase: social media outreach, possible signage and increased officer presence to deter cruising before issuing citations. Asked about legal exposure, Pearson said the city modeled the draft on ordinances used elsewhere and that Waukesha's version has been tested in court and upheld, saying the city attorney worked with police on the language.

Public comment at the council meeting was sharply divided. Longtime resident Jim Farrell, who said he lives three blocks from Milton Avenue, urged immediate action: "It's a disgrace to our city. We don't need a raceway in the middle of our city," Farrell said, describing noise, litter and a negative impression for visitors. By contrast, other speakers who described themselves as car enthusiasts asked the city to consider safe alternative sites and warned that removing a circuit without options could simply move the activity elsewhere. One commenter suggested repurposing an underused industrial parcel; another urged the council to balance enforcement with respect for people who said they are not breaking other traffic laws.

Council members and the police emphasized the ordinance is intended to reduce the most disruptive, unsafe behaviors rather than to target casual motorists. Chief Pearson said officers will prioritize the "egregious" actors and use the ordinance as a tool to clear traffic that interferes with emergency response and business access. Vice President Karen Burdick made the motion to adopt the ordinance; the motion was seconded by Council Member Miller. The transcript records the motion and the council moving on to subsequent business, but the roll‑call vote tally is not recorded in the public transcript.

The council instructed staff and police to publicize the ordinance and begin the education/outreach steps before full enforcement, and the police said they have sought grant support and discussed coordination with the sheriff and state patrol for operational coverage. The ordinance text authorizes civil penalties and vehicle‑removal procedures as allowed by state law.

The council's action follows years of complaints from neighbors and business owners about recurring weekend congestion on Milton Avenue. City staff and police said they will monitor outcomes and report back to the council on enforcement patterns and community response.