Last Thursday, during budget hearings in front of the City Council, City Clerk Miguel del Valle, had some strong words regarding residential permit parking.
According to the Chicago Tribune on Friday, Del Valle encouraged alderman to review and reform a system that has gotten completely out of control over the past three decades, specifically citing problems with guest pass abuse around Wrigley Field.
The Trib followed up with a longer piece on Sunday entitled “Chicago’s parking blues”, documenting the widespread frustration with RPP city wide by quoting a chorus of complaints from all areas of the city.
Perhaps heat from del Valle and the media can finally get some much needed reform for this very annoying system that at it’s core, is fundamentally unfair.
Why should just a few people on a street or block be able to control parking on public streets paid for by taxpayer dollars?
The answer is, they shouldn’t.
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Lets not forget the widespread criminal abuse of the system in the Sox/Bridgeport area.
So bad up there, Ward 11 has completely gotten Dep Dir Persons in their pocket to Force PEA’s to ignore outright abuses.
At least the Cubs passes are perm stickers or Temporaries with Holograms that can’t be faked.
Ding! ding! ding! Correct! They shouldn’t.
And why should some zones be one block while others are a square mile? And why should most be for 24 hours of the day when only a 2-4 hour period would solve the problem of commercial or transit overspill?
There are over 1000 zones? That’s mind boggling. AFAIK, Lake View has 2 zones, 383 and LV2, which overlap. That’s the entire 44th and part of the 32nd ward. Why in the hell are there 1000 zones?
glg…….its a money making scheme by the city.
I do not believe any other city in the country has this sort of Residential Permit parking.
The residential permit parking stuff is totally unfair. I live near a city of chicago building at ashland and chicago. They have a parking lot, but it isn’t big enough for all of their employeees, so my residential street is their overflow parking lot. All of the streets around me are permit, but I don’t qualify. They won’t make our block of the street permit permit because the city employees need to be able to park on my stupid street. So I get to hike 5 blocks to a place where I can park. If there was no permit parking I am sure I would almost always be able to park within 2 blocks.
DoR
At one time, the Cubs were just as bad as the south side is. We were even told that as long as they had a permit, it was cool. Thankfully, the City Clerk got wise, and started making the permits harder. I am sure the south side will catch up.
The zone permits do provide a valuable service. It does help relieve problem of people parking near the el stops to catch a train, students driving to school parking in the neighborhoods, and even weekend travelers leaving from the various airports. It also brings a source of Revenue in. I will agree, the program does need to be reviewed. Perhaps a reveiew every 3 years should be done to see if the zone is needed.
KC,
I know exactly where you mean. You may not want to zone that area. I understand your frustrations, but sooner or later, the City may be out of that building, and then you would be stuck with an RPP zone that takes time to remove. Weigh the pro’s and the cons.
I remember how bad it used to be in LV1/w and 383 during games. Its still a beast on the northside though
They need to standardize the zones….
Stop the stupid 7pm-9:30am or 6pm-12am zone times and make them all or nothing.
Why doesn’t the city just do what the suburbs that allow overnight street parking do??? If you have a Chicago city sticker, you can park overnight. If you don’t, then you risk getting ticketed. Sure, a system needs to be put in place to handle guests, but as a resident of Chicago, whose taxes pay for all of the roads in this city, I should be allowed to park overnight on any residential street in Chicago…
I am curious for an answer from anyone who actually has the knowledge – who writes the tickets for cars parked in residential zones without a permit? Is it CPD, or who?
I’m not talking about a few minutes after the time goes into effect – like 6:05, when we all know ticket writers are watching thier clocks waiting to descend. But later in the evening. Are PEAs and SERCO actually being paid to be out at midnight looking for cars parked without residential permits? And is CPD actually patroling side streets and getting out of their cars to check?
In past years I have seen CPD writing tickets for permit parking, but not recently.
I don’t know enough of the distinction, but I’m guessing it’s PEAs (SERCO’s relatively new, right?) writing tickets, though in my area it’s 24 hour, so, no, they’re not out at midnight.
DoR – I strongly disagree with all or nothing. All is rarely necessary, and IF it is about parking management (from the residents’ perspective), not revenue (from the city’s perspective), parking restrictions timely related to the non-resident parking use are absolutely appropriate.
glg – Where I live, there are 4 zones within 330 feet of each other!
Ticketmaster-Actually, I don’t want permit parking for my street. I want all of the streets around me to be de-permitted. That would take the pressure off of my block of the street being the major spot for all of the city workers to park.
To me, this example really highlights the absurdity of the residential permit parking. It helps some by screwing others. Why should people a block away from me have an enforced ability to park on their block when I don’t?
greg…….
For the overnight shift……its CPD and Ser Co.
PEA’s do not work between 7pm and 6am…..there is a Private Contracted firm that handles that shift.
Parking Enforcement Officer I (32181)
http://hostedjobs.openhire.com/epostings/submit.cfm?fuseaction=app.jobinfo&jobid=305833&company_id=15695&version=1&source=ONLINE&jobOwner=986261&aid=1
Lynn……CPD is avoiding (for the most part) RPP Enforcement now due to the new City Sticker/RP combo. Plainly…..they don’t want to get out of the car and Look. If they don’t see a City Sticker and a Temp from the back, they tag you….but not so much anymore.
I’ve seen a Copper Ticket on a BMW for a street cleaning violation where the car had expired Plates…but the cop didn’t write that ticket.
Ipbfoot……..If I was Mayor..thats what I would do. No City Sticker = No Parking/Night Restriction 9pm – 7am (9-64-1234) 60$ Due Now.
I’d also get the burr out of Revenues arse and Enforce ALL Vehicles with Expired City Stickers….regardless of your plate type.
You display a city sticker? Keep it current and in the right darn spot.
Don’t want to pay a meter? Cool….put it in a lot.
DOR -
I would say whoever is responsible for this enforcement is not doing a very good job.
When I have not been able to find a parking spot in the past i have parked in Residential Zones numerous times, and never gotten a ticket. I believe once or twice in the past several years I have seen someone actually walking the side streets checking windshields – and I am talking about heavily congested areas – like Lakeview.
My opinion is later at night is fairly safe.
Are there any stats out on tickets issued in res zones by area and by time?
Greg…..if I had access to the stats….I still couldn’t comment even though I post under a blind here.
Ser Co works from 7pm to 3am (Mon-Fri) and From 6am Saturday to 3am Monday with rotating shifts for complete coverage. They roll out in Vans and swarm neighborhoods and then jump in the vans.and go to the next ‘Hood.
Revenue works Mon-Fri 6am-7pm. And if we know about the RPP zone……we are there daily. And if there is someone assigned to the Beat that the zone is in as well.
There are 60 odd beats in the city that revenue covers……..daily. It basically comes down to luck.
Are you lucky when you park on a hydrant to grab your Starbucks? I know 4 people today that were not lucky in my Beat.
Did you cheat during rush hour to get your dry cleaning? I know a few people this week that I nailed for it.
How about a Tow Zone/Bus Stop to hit the ATM? I got a few of those today as well.
Ever cheat with a meter cause you’re only going to be inside for “5 minutes?” Got a few of them today as well.
TIMING is everything in this city when it comes to Revenue/TMA/CPD ticking.
And the more people avoid meters…………the more the city will place RPP zones.
I know of a few places that the residents of the area didn’t want it…but the ALderman did.
People!!!
If you do not like the way the 5th Floor of City Hall is running this City……
Enact Change!!
Get all your friends and relatives and enemies and neighbors and coworkers together….
PICK 1 damn person to run for Mayor for the 2011 election.
And then pound the snot out of little Dicky.
And:
Check this out……….
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21622034/Reduce-Alderman-Petition-2009
DOR -
I NEVER park at fire hydrants, because that is simply ignorant and could actually cost a life. I also never park in a rush hour zone or a bus stop because I know those areas are watched like a hawk and are ripe for a ticket. I also never park in a RPP zone during the day for the same reason
All I am saying is in years of driving and parking in heavily congested areas, I have only seen 1 or 2 people actually walking the side streets and checking windshields, and I personally have never gotten a ticket in the evening in these areas.
Maybe Revenue is more committed to their job than Serco – I don’t know.
Well Greg…..you are luckier than most to have never gotten that type of ticket.
And I will say honestly………I wish all drivers had a clue like you seem to.
DOR -
I don’t know if I am lucky – I just use common sense.
I’ve lived here long enough to understand how things work and what you can and can’t get away with.
I have seen the parking people out in Lake view at 2am.
[...] passes to Cubs or Sox fans looking for parking to catch a ballgame in Chicago. According to the Tribune’s Clout Street blog, Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) who’s ward is where Wrigley resides, and Ald. James Balcer who [...]