Nottingham Housing Cooperative

Parking Downtown: A Guide for Residents

Does Nottingham Have Parking?

Nottingham has parking, but there are only 6 spots available for rent. Renting a spot is $25. If we do NOT have a spot available, you can usually expect to wait 6-12+ months for a spot to open up (as availability is based on members with spots moving out). When a spot does become available you should know that parking is a little precarious. Parking in the small space we have is difficult and your car will likely get scratched and sustain other small damages. In addition, in the winter, sometimes the ice on the roof melts and has broken a car's windshield more than once. There are ways to check to see if the ice is about to fall, but in the end, it is always a gamble. This is considered a weather event, so you should check to see if your insurance would cover that.

In order to officially rent a space, you will need to put a 48 hour notice in our journal to hold a car-ship meeting. During that meeting, the specifics of our parking will be explained and your car will be accepted or rejected as a member. (Cars are usually only rejected if they're overly large.)

What's the basic info I need about street parking?

First of all, you'll want to spend some time familiarizing yourself with the different street parking signs and meters.

Regular Signs - Most street signs will tell you that there is a 2 hour parking limit between the hours of 8am to 6pm. Some signs will tell you that that limit is enforced Monday - Saturday, Some will say Monday - Friday. It is important that you pay attention to each sign to avoid a ticket. It is very important to note that the 2 hour limit between the hours of 8am to 6pm DOES NOT apply to people who have residential parking permits. As someone who lives at Nottingham, you are eligible for a residential parking permit. This process will be explained in the next section. Thursday and Friday are garbage days for most streets near Langdon and because of this, parking is more restricted between 9am and noon.

Irregular Signs - Sometimes there will be signs posted that add additional parking restrictions. Such signage frequently presents as a lime green laminated paper attached to regular signage. However, irregular signage can come in different forms, so be on the lookout. Irregular signage may indicate a section of parking will be blocked off during specific dates and times for the Madison Gas and Electric Company to do maintenance, for an athletic race or triathlon, UW homecoming, etc.

Meters - Meters are paid parking spots. Meters located on City streets are enforced from 8 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, meaning that you can legally park for free at most metered spots between 6pm at night and 8am in the morning Monday through Saturday and unrestricted on Sunday (but most people don't know this, so metered spots are available more often during these times). Always be sure to double-check the meter, as some have additional parking restrictions.

Also, you're going to need to know how to parallel park. You're going to be doing A LOT of parallel parking. If you find this particularly concerning, ask a friend, family member, or a Nottingham resident who knows how to parallel park if they can spare time to help you. In addition, you could consider buying a Backup Camera and Monitor for your car. You can find a reasonably priced, good one for around $60.

How do I obtain a residential Parking Permit?

In order to obtain a residential permit, you will need to submit an application. You can apply online, in person, or by mail. To apply, you will need either:

1. "Submit a copy of a current lease or sublease which includes the current lease term dates, the property address, your name listed as a tenant, and the signatures of both you and the landlord."

2. Vehicle Registration & Driver's Licence (both must have Nottingham address)*

*If you need to update the address on your Driver's License & Vehicle Registration, click HERE. If you need a duplicate of your Vehicle Registration, click HERE. The documents will be emailed to you. You will be charged fees for updating these and having new documents issued. As of 2020, it will cost less than $30 total to get them updated.

In addition, you will pay a nonrefundable $42.00 application fee.

Learn more about Residential Parking Permits.

Once you've got the required documents, you can Click here to Apply/ Renew Now!*

*IMPORTANT - When you enter your street address there will be 22 options at our address under "Address Search Result List". No matter your unit number, you must go to the last page and choose the last result "146 Langdon ST, City of Madison, 1210 Rooming and boarding houses., Madison DANE WI 53703" (the one that does NOT include a unit number).

What if I can't find a parking spot close to Nottingham?

There will be times (notably New Year's Eve) when there will be absolutely zero street parking available. In this situation, it is appropriate for you to use the guest/ courtesy spot at Nottingham. If the guest spot is occupied, you can either look further out of range for street parking, or park your car in a ramp for the night. It is rare for there to be so little parking that this is necessary, but it does happen.

What do I need to know for winter and "Declared Snow Emergency" Parking?

If you street park in the winter and want to avoid a big-ticket, it is important that you pay attention to "Declared Snow Emergencies." A "Declared Snow Emergency" means that the city has decided to do intensive plowing all over the city due to recent snowfall. When a Declared Snow Emergency is in effect, the city will give residents notice via text alerts and let us know which side of the street we are allowed to park on. If the city says we can park on the "Even" side, that means that you must park on the side of the street with even-numbered addresses such as 170, 622, or 958. If the city says to park on the odd side, you must park on the side of the street with odd-numbered addresses such as 171, 623, or 957.

One-Sided Parking Streets Exception: Blocks with one-sided parking (such as Langdon St.) are exempt from alternate side parking requirements, including during a Declared Snow Emergency.

Sign up for text alerts about odd/even side street parking and declared snow emergencies.

If you fail to park on the correct side of the street, you will very likely get a parking ticket. In addition, your car may be towed. If you are lucky, they will tow your car somewhere else on the street. In addition to paying for the parking ticket, they will charge you for having towed your car.

If your car is ever towed or taken to impound, visit this website to learn your next steps.

During a declared snow emergency you can park for no charge in the cashiered section of city-owned ramps from 9 p.m. until 7 a.m. If you enter before 9 p.m. or leave after 7 a.m. you are liable for any parking charges before 9 p.m. and from 7 a.m. until the time you leave. For example, if you park in the ramp during a Declared Snow Emergency between 8p.m. and 8a.m., you will pay for two hours of parking. When parking in the ramps overnight, do not park on the top level so that area can be plowed.

List of Vacancies at City Garages & Lots

Learn more about winter parking in Madison

What else should I be aware of parking downtown?

If extreme wind, storm, or other similar weather conditions are expected, try to park somewhere that does not have a tree nearby. Branches can fall on cars. Usually, these branches are small and do not damage the car, but it is possible a heavier branch could fall.

The lake can lead to very windy conditions, especially as you get closer to the coop.

I don't want to park on the street, what are my options?

You can rent a space downtown from a private company - most spots are between $90 and $180 a month. You may get a discount for paying upfront or for agreeing to a certain amount of months. Look for parking ads on Craigslist and the Facebook Marketplace. It is best to look for private parking far in advance. Many students are on Campus in September and plan for their parking needs months in advance.

Parking permits are also available in city ramps, but they tend to be more costly than you would find from a private company in part because they are sheltered. See city ramp parking permit info here.

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