Meters and the West Loop

On my block, employees of the nearby CTA headquarters park in metered spots, and don't bother putting any coins in the meter. I suppose no ticket-dispensing city employee is going to waste time ticketing a government car, but this sure adds to the problem of lack of parking.

West Loop group plans metered parking :
West Loop business owners and neighbors say the days of park-and-ride commuting for free are over.

In an area of the city where meat supply companies exist alongside trendy bars with designer martinis, West Loop community leaders have drawn up a plan to address the parking needs of the area's diverse constituencies. The first step, they say, is to reclaim their turf from the “day trippers,” or those who commute from the suburbs and park in the neighborhood.

“We need to drive them out of the neighborhood,” Jeff Taylor, chairman of the parking committee for the West Loop Community Organization, said at a community meeting last Thursday. Taylor said the group wants to make it “practically illegal” to park long-term if you aren't a resident.

With its proximity to downtown, the West Loop has long served as a de facto parking lot for suburban commuters. Condo developments and industrial buildings converted to residential space have brought more residents, who now must compete with commuters for parking.


...
The West Loop group says it will continue to seek community input and involve Alds. Bob Fioretti (2nd) and Walter Burnett (27th) in writing an ordinance.

“I'm just listening and taking everything into consideration,” Burnett said. “We have to decipher what's best for everyone and not best for one person.”

Burnett said that any plan should involve the foresight to accommodate the area's expected growth, which could include as many as 1,000 new housing units over the next few years.

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