City of Alton - Committee of the Whole Meeting
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ALTON – A proposal to remove parking restrictions on an Alton street is on hold for now amid concerns about emergency vehicle and snowplow access.
Alton Committee of the Whole members voted unanimously at their Jan. 12, 2026 meeting to postpone a resolution introducing an ordinance to remove certain parking restrictions on Norside Drive.
According to the resolution, city officials have determined that “certain parking restrictions on Norside Drive do not reflect current neighborhood needs and should be removed.”
If passed, the city’s Public Works Department would be directed to remove any signage or pavement markings associated with parking restrictions at a series of six addresses in the 2200 block of Norside Drive. Each of these addresses are located near the site of the State Street Trails, which were effectively forced to cease operating as an outdoor BMX facility after a 5-1 City Council vote on Nov. 25, 2025.
Alderwoman Martha Pfister, who cast the sole vote in favor of allowing State Street Trails to continue BMX operations, also introduced the current resolution to remove the parking restrictions on Norside Drive. She said several neighborhood residents have reached out to her asking for the current parking restrictions to be removed.
“People have been parking on the street, often regardless of those signs … it’s usually people who live there – their teenagers have cars and there’s not enough space on their driveways,” Pfister said. “Suddenly, there’s just a lot going on on that street and people are using it as an excuse to call the police on each other, and it’s just become a not great morale situation among the neighborhood.”
When asked by Alderman Chris Bohn why the parking restrictions were originally implemented there, Pfister said that after asking the Public Works Department about the situation, she found they had been put in place in 1989 but could not find any documentation as to why.
Alderman Michael Velloff expressed concerns about snowplows and emergency vehicles not having enough room on the road to get through if cars begin parking along both sides of the street. Alton Fire Chief Jesse Jemison said it would likely be a “tight” fit for his department’s trucks, especially ladder trucks that use stabilizing “jacks” which extend outward from the vehicle.
Pfister said she understood the concerns related to emergency vehicle access, emphasizing that her intention is not to “do something that’s not safe.” After further discussion, committee members agreed to postpone the item until their next meeting on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026.
A full recording of the Jan. 12, 2026 Alton Committee of the Whole meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
