Madison police will continue to ban glass containers from the Mifflin Street block party at the 2013 annual celebration being held May 4, the city public safety review committee established Tuesday.
The decision is not surprising nor is the policy new, said Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, adding the Madison Police Department came up with the idea years ago as a preventative measure.
“Before we banned glass containers the amount of broken glass was a real problem on the street,” Verveer said. “The huge numbers of people that attend these events led to bottles being placed on the ground and [getting] accidentally kicked.”
Although the city also prohibits glass containers at Freakfest, Verveer said Mifflin is especially dangerous because many students wear flip flops in the nice weather.
According to Verveer, making Mifflin a glass-free zone solved the problem “over night,” and the penalty for carrying glass at Mifflin is considered a non-criminal ordinance violation with a fine of approximately $300.
