Commission narrows South Washington no-stopping zone, creates five-minute pickup area and restores North Washington parking

The Green Bay Traffic Commission voted to modify downtown Washington Street parking rules after a lengthy public-comment period and staff recommendation.

Commissioners voted to remove the midnight–3 a.m. no-stopping/no-standing restriction on the 200 block of North Washington and to create a five-minute loading and drop-off zone on South Washington in the block near the Meyer Theater. The commission also directed staff to shorten the existing no-stopping/no-standing stretch on South Washington and to retain a set of hooded meters in front of several businesses for the time being. The changes will be implemented on a 90-day trial basis and accompanied by signage and outreach to downtown stakeholders.

The session opened the floor to comments from downtown business owners and representatives. Travis, who identified himself as the owner/manager of several downtown establishments, said allowing cars to park near bars on South Washington improved police sight lines, helped capture video footage and reduced the risk of patrons stepping into moving traffic after bar closing. "By having cars parked there, you have people running out in traffic," Travis said, urging the commission to prioritize safety over convenience.

Jeff Marcus of Downtown Green Bay said market organizers and several businesses supported keeping the current South Washington arrangement and wanted the commission to weigh police input. A police representative told the commission that parked vehicles can both obstruct pedestrian sight lines and otherwise affect officer staging, and that changes in how officers log self-initiated "cipher" calls have increased the recorded counts of activity in the area.

Staff said the proposed compromise — restoring limited parking on North Washington while creating a controlled loading zone on South Washington — aims to balance pedestrian safety, officer access and business needs. Commissioners instructed staff to prepare precise signage language and distance measurements for the official minutes and to notify ride-hail services and downtown business groups about the new pickup location.

The motion to implement the staff-directed changes carried; the transcript records the vote as "motion carries" but does not include a detailed roll-call tally.