95 parking tickets voided after University of Michigan football fans protest crackdown by city of Ann Arbor
The city of Ann Arbor is voiding 95 parking tickets issued to University of Michigan football fans and other motorists over the weekend after the city received several complaints.
City Administrator Roger Fraser agreed the city didn't give proper notice to residents and football fans that it would be enforcing regular football parking rules during Saturday's spring game for the first time this year.
"To the extent that we made a mistake in terms of our communication about that issue, we have corrected that," he explained to the City Council in a report Monday night.
Several cars parked on the side streets near Michigan Stadium were ticketed for being in areas where parking is prohibited on game days. Whether the spring game was considered a football game was up for debate, and city officials agreed after some protest that the city didn't make clear how it would enforce parking this past Saturday, Fraser said.
"There were 95 citations that were issued to residents and non-residents, frankly, for being in violation of the parking restriction on a football Saturday," Fraser said.
"The determination had been made that we would treat the spring practice as a football weekend, but the fact is that that was not well communicated with the people in the area. And around Allmendinger Park, there were a number of tickets issued for parking in the street at a time when it was not legal technically, but there were a number of protests regarding those tickets."
Fraser said city staff has gone through and manually voided every one of those 95 tickets. However, not all tickets issued Saturday have been voided, he said.
"Only those that were in violation of football parking on Saturday were voided," he said. "So if somebody received a parking ticket for parking too close to the driveway ... or being parked in a posted no-parking zone, for example, those violations are still valid and have not been changed. But if their ticket was written for violation of Saturday football parking, those have been voided and they do not need to worry about those."
Mike Rankin, supervisor of the city's community standards unit, said the decision was made this year to start enforcing football Saturday rules for the spring game due to the size it has grown to over the years. An estimated 35,000 fans turned out Saturday for the annual spring game.
Rankin agreed appropriate notice was not given this year, but said it's likely there will be enforcement for next year's spring game. He said it's important to enforce no-parking restrictions on side streets around Allmendinger Park because it's a residential area, and problems have occurred in the past due to the size of the crowd. Also, team buses need to get through the area, he said.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.
Comments
JAM
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 3:15 p.m.
So this begs the question.... can the people who sell their lawns for parking on a football Saturday also sell their lawns on Commencement Saturday? Goodness knows there's not enough parking on campus, and there's NO parking next to Crisler, due to security concerns!
jcj
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 10:28 a.m.
@Ignatz Case Closed? Really? Well I guess you lost that case! Blerg get the nod on this one! The University steals enough in services and ticket prices so as not to deserve any more free rides! AAPS has no obligation to the U of M! As for speed traps Glad to see a couple cop bashers are back I though maybe we had lost a couple citizens to Detroit. Funny how it is always the ones that break the law that complain about laws the most. Hmm.
SurlyCommenter
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 10:26 a.m.
I am very happy the city decided to void all these tickets. My friend and I went to the game and were surprised and indignant to see the ticket on our car. Even if we had seen the "No parking on Football Days" sign, we would have concluded that the spring scrimmage didn't count. Aside from the weather, Saturday had little in common with a traditional "Football Saturday" in Ann Arbor: no tailgating, no parking on residential lawns, at least half the Michigan team was victorious, no visiting team or obnoxious fans, no street vendors, no long lines to get into the stadium, no bag checks, etc.
Blerg
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 8:49 a.m.
@Ignatz AAPS isn't exactly in a position to give away parking when the district is pink slipping 120 teachers. Football and basketball parking are a nice piece of revenue for the district, and UM fans don't need to complain about a struggling public school not giving away free parking for event that are not theirs.
ez12c
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 7:42 a.m.
My favorite post is from MARKGUY. Team busses? Really? That's messed up!!! No wonder you people hate the University of Michigan so much.
Ignatz
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 7:30 a.m.
@Blerg, Following that line of reasoning, there's no need for anyone to give away any parking. Were they using it, otherwise? Parking case closed!
racerx
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 3:33 a.m.
@havefun, yea,this should be some good drama. When Obama's here there will be no parking at the stadium, Golf Course, in fact the roads will be closed from the railroad tracks on Stadium to Pauline! Even Greene and Kipe won't allow car traffic. This should be one great money making opportunity for the city!
havefun
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 10:07 p.m.
I was shocked to have received a ticket without any enforcement warning. Especially considering they had never enforced football parking rules for any of the previous spring scrimmages. If the city felt it was necessary to enforce the football parking rules for a crowd of 35,000, what is their plan for UM graduation next week? With Obama in town I've heard predictions of crowds in the 80,000 range. If they decide to enforce the football parking rules for graduation or other large events(ie. Big Chill at the Big House), I hope they will appropriately inform the public.
april
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 8:15 p.m.
This would have been really helpful when I got ticketed and towed during LAST year's spring game, along with too many other spring football game patrons. What a great police department, so worried about my safety! I'll have my $450 back now.
GoblueBeatOSU
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 7:14 p.m.
dogwalker...now we all know that the AA cops will ticket little old ladies that have lived in Ann Arbor for years and years for waling along the railroad tracks....but the AA cops aren't about to ticket a football fan from out of town for walking the tracks. That has been shown in the past. Last year at the ND game I was there when a group of about six guys walked down the tracks. When they came to the crossing at the golf course there were three AA cops standing there. Not one of them said a word to this group. The group just continued on down the tracks. Just amazing who the AA cops will ticket...and who they will not. Last report I heard was the older lady that received the ticket is now afraid of the AA cops.....They even made her go to court and she had never been to court before....she should have just said she was a football fan so it is ok...
dogwalker
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 7 p.m.
All that wasted revenue. To get it back, why not ticket all the all the football fans who walk the railroad tracks every football Saturday? Lots of money to be had there!
aareader
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 6:57 p.m.
Thanks for the information :+}
David Briegel
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 6:17 p.m.
OK Roger, Here is a real chance to "man up". Void all the tickets for the downhill speed traps the AAPD has set up. Especially on M-14 E bound near Main. Just Do It!! How can you look in the mirror now that it is a sane speed limit? At best your policy is selective enforcement! Shall we list the other speed traps? But, then you would lose your revenue!!!
aareader
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 5:37 p.m.
QUESTION - Do the receipts for football/basketball parking go to the AA Schools or to the U of M. I heard the University Leases the Pioneer School land area on game days for a set amount? Does anyone know the correct story?
Old West Sider
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 5 p.m.
We live 4 blocks from the U of M stadium and have a haddicap parking place in front of our home on the street a " Fan" parked there Saturday I shoud have called the police and have them ticketed, I did not BUT if it happens again unless they have a handicap sticker it will cost them 100 bucks. " GO BLUE"
Lokalisierung
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 4:51 p.m.
"Well, no, but it would've been a nice gesture considering the economy surrounding Michigan Football likely puts some pennies in the pockets of the administration of Pioneer" Good god that must be a joke.
Josh Ditton
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 4:40 p.m.
@Blerg Well, no, but it would've been a nice gesture considering the economy surrounding Michigan Football likely puts some pennies in the pockets of the administration of Pioneer (sans Parking).
Pete Warburton
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 4:37 p.m.
It is hard to get information to public when a city does not have a newspaper...Zing
Blerg
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 4:32 p.m.
@Ignatz If "an estimated 35,000 fans turned out Saturday for the annual spring game," I see no reason for Pioneer to give away parking. AAPS doesn't owe Michigan fans a free spot when so many are in demand.
Lokalisierung
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 3:37 p.m.
I was ready to say the city folded in this one, but a scrimmage shouldn't count as a "game day." Good they took them off the books.
DeeDee
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 3:32 p.m.
Once again the city of ann arbor knuckles under to the sports establishment...
Ignatz
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 3:17 p.m.
Why would they consider a scrimmage a game? I was shocked to see people being charged for parking at Pioneer.
markguy
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 3:13 p.m.
"Also, team buses need to get through the area, he said." That's rich. First, I've lived in this neighborhood for 21 years. I can't recall ever having seen the Notre Dame team bus tooling down our streets! And, Mike, I'm pretty sure the team walked from the practice facility to the stadium this past Saturday. If they took buses then RichRod really is insane.