Fitchburg, WI Parking Rules: Snow Removal Parking Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Alternate-side switch
- 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
- Narrow-street ban
- 20 feet or less: no parking either side
- Who declares it
- Chief of police, after consulting streets superintendent
- Signage required
- Near city's corporate limits, state/county highways
- Penalty for violators
- Ticketed and towed per § 68-210(d)
Summary
When accumulating snow or ice creates a traffic hazard, Fitchburg's police chief declares a snow emergency and switches to alternate-side parking under Fitchburg City Code § 68-210, banning parking on the wrong side of the street by time of day until the chief lifts the emergency, with ticketing and towing for stragglers.
(a)When it becomes necessary for the effective movement of vehicles and to remove snow or ice from streets which because of the accumulation of snow or ice thereon causes such a hindrance to traffic as constitutes an emergency unless the snow or ice is promptly removed, the chief of police or a designated subordinate, after consultation with the superintendent of streets or a designated subordinate, shall by appropriate public media announcement declare the beginning of an emergency and the application of emergency snow parking regulations. ... (c)Emergency snow parking regulations shall mean there will be parking permitted only on the even-numbered side of any street or any street in any specified aldermanic district or any street in any specified geographical area from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and there shall be parking permitted only on the odd-numbered side of any street or any street or streets in any specified aldermanic district or any street in any specified geographical area from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ... Vehicles in violation will be ticketed and towed.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 30).
Full Breakdown
Fitchburg City Code § 68-210 lets the chief of police, or a designated subordinate, declare a snow emergency after consulting the superintendent of streets whenever accumulated snow or ice hinders safe traffic movement or impedes emergency and public transportation vehicles. The chief announces the emergency through local public media, and the emergency regulations stay in force until the chief lifts them, not on a fixed calendar. , so plows can alternate sides night by night. Subsection (d) layers a stricter rule on top: on any street or court with a curb-to-curb or roadway width of 20 feet or less, parking is banned on both sides entirely for the duration of the emergency, no matter which side would otherwise be open, and the ordinance is explicit that violators will be ticketed and towed.
The city is required to post signs near its corporate limits on state and county highways so drivers entering Fitchburg, Wisconsin from Madison, Verona, or Dane County know a snow emergency is active. Because the trigger is a declared emergency rather than a fixed winter-season calendar, the alternate-side rule can run on any night heavy snow falls, separate from the November 15 to March 15 nightly parking ban this code sets elsewhere.
Violations & Fines
Vehicles left on the wrong side during a declared emergency, or parked at all on a street 20 feet wide or narrower, will be ticketed and towed under § 68-210(d); towing and storage fees fall on the owner, and citation penalties follow the § 1-21 general forfeiture schedule of $25.00 to $500.00 for a first offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know when a Fitchburg snow emergency is in effect?
Which side of the street can I park on during the emergency?
What happens if I leave my car on the wrong side?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fitchburg
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Snow Removal Parking Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dane County handle snow removal parking rules.