Host Park(ing) Day

The Unofficial Park(ing) Day Hosting Guide

First and foremost, your installation will require City approval, primarily through the Street Use Permit. Below, we provide a timeline, cost estimate, helpful advice, and sample materials to save you the struggles we faced when acquiring our first permit.

Timeline

• 15 days prior: submit street use permit (staff prefers closer to 30 days).

  • Be prepared to show insurance (details below) and a site plan showing the layout of your installation and its components.

• 14 days prior: notify your Alder.

• 7 days prior: call the Sayle St garage to arrange barricade collection.

  • Open weekdays 7:00 am - 3:00 pm. Pickup/drop off must be during business hours.

• 5 days prior: contact parking to collect "No Parking" signs ($2 per sign).

• 48 hours prior: call to have "No Parking" signage inspected.

Budgeting

• Permit: $100.00 application fee, due at submission

• Signage: $2.00 per 'No Parking' sign (1 per stall)

• Materials: ~$500.00, varies drastically. Components to consider:

  • Interior wall (36"-42" tall, inside city barricades, keeps participants 2' away from travel lane).

  • Furniture; we strongly recommend creating an area for passersby to sit, rest, and appreciate the installation.

  • Games/activities/food; even something as simple as cornhole boards or a coffee traveler helps draw in visitors.

Stuff You Should Know

• Insurance: the street use permit requires $1,000,000.00 of general liability protection, with the City, its officers, officals, agents, and employees listed as additional insureds. The insured entity should match the permit applicant. The City of Madison should also be listed as the certificate holder (see below). We recommend partnering with a local business for this requirement; many are able to add one-time "event insurance" to their policy for no additional cost.

  • Certificate holder: City of Madison, Attn: Risk Manager. 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Room 406, Madison WI 53703

• Logistics: by far, the most challenging logistical component of organizing Park(ing) Day is transporting the 12' permit-mandated barricades provided by the City. Worth keeping in mind:

  • The barricades are held at the Sayle St garage (1120 Sayle St), and can only be collected during their business hours, weekdays between 7:00 am and 3:00 pm. Applicants must call to arrange pickup; (608) 266-4761.

  • Though the fee schedule implies the barricades can be delivered for a charge, this option is only available to large events. Moving multiple 12' wooden beams is no joke, so consider your transportation options as you plan the event.

• Safety: the street use permit typically requires a 36"-42" wall within the traffic control barricades, which keeps participants at least 2' away from the travel lane. They're relatively loose with the defintion of "wall." We've found that cones and plastic construction fencing seem to be the easiest and least expensive way to meet this requirement.

  • Applicants are required to park a vehicle in the stall immediately before the installation, relative to incoming traffic.

Help and Resources

• City: applications are reviewed by Kelly Post, Park and Street Use Supervisor, Madison Parks. KPost@cityofmadison.com, 608-264-9289

• Community: email us at strongtownsmadison@gmail.com and we'd be happy to answer questions to the best of our ability