MILWAUKEE — The Holt Avenue Park and Ride in Milwaukee closed indefinitely on Monday after the Wisconsin Department of Transportation cited safety concerns.
People staying in tents or vehicles at the lot received a printed notice about the closure last week. Wisconsin State Patrol stood behind a fence, limiting who could enter.
Tracy Bennett and her husband have been staying at the Holt Avenue lot since July after falling on hard times. Bennett initially spoke with TMJ4 News in September after concrete barriers were added to the park and ride. The couple left with their dog Monday morning.
"It's heartbreaking," Bennett said. "We would've never been back, but because we care is why we're here—to make sure that people are OK, were getting out OK."
The move comes as a growing number of people have been moving into park and rides. The DOT’s original announcement stated that Milwaukee city and county law enforcement responded to a combined 275 calls for service—including assault, robbery, and theft—at the Holt Avenue and College Avenue Park and Rides between July and September. The announcement noted those calls were up 42% compared to the same timeframe in 2023.
Bennett plans to finally get keys to a new place, but she is cautiously optimistic.
"If this doesn't go through again, where do we sleep tonight? I don't want to cry again, but where do we sleep tonight?" Bennett wondered.
Watch: Uncertainty remains for people living at Holt Ave. Park & Ride after closure
Some vehicles had orange tags on them. According to another DOT notice, those tags serve as a 48-hour courtesy to remove the property.
People staying at the Northeast College Avenue Park and Ride received a notice Monday that the lot will close next week.
"To be honest, I was just like, 'OK, I didn't want to freak out. I can't freak out,'" Kayla Horton told TMJ4.
Horton says she is five months pregnant. She and her husband have been staying in a tent at the Northeast College Avenue lot since their apartment caught fire.
She and others at the lot say deputies have come by to share resources, but getting impactful help is difficult. Horton says communication needs to be more engaging and hands-on, since they lack transportation and access to electricity.
"Talking to us and actually helping us get a place, because there's no way for us to properly charge our phones. So when it comes to calling housing and having to wait for them, it's not really easy," Horton explained. "Look at where we are. It’s a park and ride, so hands-on communication and help does need to be added."
The DOT says it has worked with partners for months and helped more than 80 people find safer alternative housing. A spokesperson says the DOT will continue working with partners to help individuals.
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