What's New?
Parking forfeitures for all parking violations in the City of Port Washington shall be $10 if paid within 72 hours of the violation. This is an increase of $5 for parking violations that occur within a city parking lot. The parking forfeiture increases to $15 if paid after 72 hours and within 10 days; $20 if paid after ten days and within 28 days, $35 if paid after 28 days. Forfeiture for a violation related to parking spaces on portions of streets, highways, or parking facilities reserved for vehicles used by physically disabled persons shall be not less than $50 or more than $300. These parking forfeiture rates are effective as of December 10, 2009.
Parking restrictions on N. Franklin Street and E. Grand Avenue have been amended from 1-hour parking limits to 2-hour parking limits. This change in the parking restrictions is effective December 10, 2009.
Effective June 30, 2009, Wisconsin has what is known as a primary enforcement seat belt law.
A standard, or primary enforcement seat belt law allows police to stop and ticket a driver for not wearing a seat belt, just like any other routine traffic violation.
Wisconsin law provides for a fine of $10 and no points are assigned against a person's driver record. Those subject to the penalty include drivers, drivers with unrestrained passengers 4 to 16 years old, and passengers at least 16 years old.
A new non-emegency phone number of 262-284-5575 for the Port Washington Police Department is now in use. A complete phone directory for the Port Washington Police Department may be found here.
The new law will no longer require individuals completing a Basic Rider Course (BRC) to hold a motorcycle instruction permit (CYCI) before they receive their Class M license. What this means is that if a student decides to take the BRC course and they pass, but hadn't applied for a CYCI for whatever reason prior to the course to be out practicing on the highways, they can now bring into the Department of Transportation the yellow copy of the MV3575 Motorcycle Skills Test Waiver Authorization, take the knowledge test and if they pass it only have to pay $12.00 (or whatever the prorated amount based on the expiration of their current drivers license). They will no longer have to pay the additional $22.00 for the motorcycle instruction permit. If the student wants to be out practice riding the motorcycle on the highway prior to passing the BRC course they will need to pass the motorcycle knowledge test and still pay the $22.00 CYCI fee.
If a person applies for a CYCI and wants to take the motorcycle skills test with the DMV instead of the BRC course, they no longer have to hold the CYCI for 7 days before attempting it.
It also provides that the operator of a motorcycle, moped, motor bicycle, or bicycle facing a red signal at an intersection may, after stopping for not less than 45 seconds, proceed cautiously through the intersection before the signal turns green if no other vehicles are present at the intersection to actuate the signal and the operator reasonably believes the signal is vehicle actuated. The operator must yield the right-of-way to any vehicular traffic, pedestrian, bicyclist, or rider of an electric personal assisted mobility device proceeding through a green signal at the intersection or lawfully within a crosswalk or using the intersection.
Generally, Wisconsin statutes provide that a person who violates the general rules of right-of-way may be required to forfeit not less than $20.00 nor more than $50.00 for the first offense and not less than $50.00 nor more than $100.00 for the second offense or subsequent conviction within a year. The forfeitures will be doubled if the violations take place in a highway work area.
Act 466 provides that a violation of right-of-way resulting in: (1) bodily harm will be penalized by a $200.00 forfeiture; (2) great bodily harm will be penalized by a $500.00 forfeiture; or (3) death will be penalized by a $1,000.00 forfeiture. In addition, the violator must attend traffic school.