Bill May End Free Metered Parking For Disabled
Only Few Exceptions Will Still Be Allowed To Park Free
Well, it’s a start.
Illinois State Rep. Karen May (D-Highland Park) has introduced legislation to take away the free parking meter privileges for all but a minority of drivers with handicap license plates or disabled parking placards according to report in the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Illinois Secretary of State will issue a special free parking sticker to disabled drivers only after qualifying in at least one of four very strict and specific ways through doctor’s verification according to the proposed legislation.
(1) manage, manipulate, or insert coins, or obtain tickets or tokens in parking meters or ticket machines in
parking lots or parking structures, due to the lack of fine motor control of both hands;(2) reach http://www.suntimes.com/news/watchdogs/10826074-452/bill-aims-to-end-free-disability-parking-abuses.htmltrength or mobility;
(3) approach a parking meter due to his or her use of a wheelchair or other device; and
(4) walk more than 20 feet due to an orthopedic, neurological, cardiovascular, or lung condition in which the degree of debilitation is so severe that it almost completely impedes the ability to walk.
If the bill gets passed, it will not only drastically reduce drivers who park for free in Chicago’s metered parking spots for as long as they wish, but also save the city from having to compensate Chicago Parking Meters, LLC for lost revenue due to this problem. CPM billed the city over $13 million last year to compensate for lost revenue from drivers using disabled placards or handicap license plates to park for free.
This legislative language is promising, but it won’t be a surprise if people motivated to keep their free parking privileges figure out a way around this legislation too.
Here’s the Sun-Times version of the story, “Bill aims to end free disability-parking abuses.”
Nobody cared when the money went to to a municipality and people scammed the system. Now a private company owns Chicago’s meters and whoa, now we have to act. Sounds like there may be ties to the company that owns the meters.
I was gonna say the same thing as Mike. Though I’m torn: I do want the scammers and abusers to be stopped and punished. I just have to accept that a private company benefits too.
When I read Icarus’s post, it made me weep. Our country has truly become a bunch of socialists.
Mike….the City and State have always cared. People with Valid handicaps have always cared. It wasn’t news worthy before the Meter Lease Pissed off 99% of the City.
Adam….ever look up the actual definition of the word Socialist? Because I have…and NOT CHEATING isn’t part of the Marxist theory of socialism.
Socialism is a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
The meter lease took away the Community benefits of Revenue going to the City to enhance through that revenue the City Services that serve the Community.
The individuals that Cheat the meter system with stolen, fraudulent or improperly used disabled parking placard or disability plates are not the Robin Hoods of the common era. They are assholes that are out for #1. They are also Criminals….committing a Misdemeanor.
Of the 600,000 handicap placards and 82,050 Illinois handicap license plates that are currently in issue…it seems strange that 1 in 5 cars in on a Chicago Meter are HCP. It is also Strange that the number of Out of State Placards that are used Daily in the City of Chicago is also High.
I hope the Bill is Signed into law…for several reasons:
The ability to manage, manipulate, or insert coins, or obtain tickets or tokens in parking meters or ticket machines in parking lots or parking structures, due to the lack of fine motor control of both hand is an Antiquated exception now that 90% of the Meters in Chicago accept CC/Debit Cards. And I wonder the need of HCP Plates for people with neurological disorders.
I also advocate that HCP Placards (Like South Carolina and Massachusetts) be Imprinted with a photo to ID the Owner to help combat Fraudulent Usage.
I also feel that the Sec State office of Disabilities should have 1 employee that is dedicated to a daily search of ALL Death Notices and should be comparing the list to the list of people that were issued HCP Plates or Placards…and then SUSPEND/Cancel all that belong to Dead People. All Current HCP Placards should be cancelled, new documentation should be required from a State Employed Doctor (not a private physician that can be influenced to ‘fudge’ on the paperwork) with the persons medical records being investigated before new Placards are issued. HCP License plates should not be issued to any Vehicle to prevent abuse. Since a Handicapped person is not tied to 1 specific vehicle, the placard system is a good one…since you can’t move plates from car to car.
All HCP Placards should be Temporary in Nature for anyone that does not have loss of limb/limbs/ability to walk without a wheelchair, requiring the permit owner to re-certify every 2 years with the State Medical Examiner on Persons with Disabilities to ensure that : A. The Medical Condition still exists. B. The Condition is cured and the person no longer needs a permit.
Also since the Pay Boxes are easy to get to (excluding heavy snow fall during winter), I don’t see the difficulty there either.
Oh…one point if I may…
Several States and City Municipalities have disallowed Free Metered Parking for vehicles with a Handicap Identifier. I seem to recall St. Louis and Philly off the top of my head. The City of New York does not currently recognize disabled placards that were not issued in New York.
Massachusetts Port Authority does not exempt meters fees for Disabled Parking. And Massachusetts’s law also allows vehicles with proper Disabled Parking authority to disregard most – but not all – public meter fees. State of Michigan HCP Placards Must Display a Yellow Free Parking Sticker on them, otherwise they can’t park for free just with a standard HCP plate/placard.
Hehe….this is my personal windmill Sancho..
The University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center not recognize the state law of handicap placards free parking at meters.
So why does the City of Chicago?
Thanks for the tip DoR! As soon as I wrapup present efforts regarding a class-action lawsuit against the City of Chicago’s Dept. of Revenue and its collections agent A.S. Harris, P.C.; my next lawsuit WILL be against U of I – for violating my civil rights according to IL Motor Vehicle statutes.
COPD…
I want a Cut….say 5%?
Who will be paying LAZ Parking for the spaces co-opted for the NATO Summit (no longer G8). As it currently stands, the city (and the people) are liable for it.