Parking Meter Problems
- Chicago's abrupt transfer of parking meters to a private company has drivers and business owners angry about erroneous overcharges and confusing enforcement rules.
The problems come on top of a fourfold increase in rates at meters this year that has sent motorists searching for quarters in seat cushions and merchants complaining that the new on-street parking regulations have hurt their business.
Gee. Business revenue down. That means less tax revenue. That means bigger holes in the City budget. Brilliant fucking thinking at work here. And the problems?
- Outdated fee and violation-enforcement information still posted on many meters since the city switched from six parking zones to three.
- Meters that, regardless of what the stickers indicate, charge the wrong hourly rates for the zone in which they are located, increasing the chance of vehicles being ticketed. For example, in the 1800 block of North Clybourn Avenue, an area where 25 cents is supposed to buy 15 minutes of parking time, meter No. 279089 provides only seven minutes for a quarter. A black marker was used to cover up the "15" on the meter's rate sticker with "7."
- A surge in broken meters, many overstuffed with coins.
- Stepped-up writing of tickets for parking-meter violations.
And does anyone actually carry around this much change?
- The increase in parking-meter rates this year means that it takes eight quarters to park for two hours in city neighborhoods, 28 quarters to park for two hours in the Loop and 16 quarters in the central business district.
We see a lot less traveling to our favorite restaurants, watering holes and other locations around the city. Hello suburbs with free parking!
Labels: money questions
posted by SCC at 12:02 AM
19 Comments:
I'm taking a baseball bat to a few meters. I'll knock off the heads and empty the coin boxes in an alley: problem solved.
any one notice Monterrey security is walking with the meter company? Any bets as to which security company will be making all the money if shitcago gets the olympics. hellllo danny solis, mayor shorshanks
And you expected what??
New 'must have in your vehicle's trunk' tool:
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/toolsplus_2042_219442853
I was just in Phoenix. Went to a Coyotes/Ducks game.
Free parking.
The iceman cometh....
For all people with lakefront parks, city is going towards either putting meters in all parking spaces or the parking lots will have gates with stub/pay boxes. Pukie and ray-ray will have to pay to hang out and drink at the lakefront. To be implemented this year, contract bids are pending right now.
"A surge in broken meters, many overstuffed with coins."
--- and now every time I try to park to take my kid to music lessons on Saturdays, I have to try about 7 different meters before finding a working one. I can't afford to get a ticket. Every meter coin slot is filled with epoxy or the meter reads FAIL. This is crap. If I could, I would just leave this city, especially considering the crap public schools, too.
I see all these meters in Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville. Once again going after the working man. Why not put meters in Englewood or the Westside?
Stepped-up writing of tickets for parking-meter violations?
Why should I enforce parking meters if chicago doesnt own them?
Now the only thing I have to do now is write parkers, if I only knew where they hid those little bastards...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-parking-ticket-geek/meter-beater-arrested-for_b_177219.html
i feel his pain
SSC THATS ALL RIGHT, YESTERDAY I WAS OFF AND DROVE TO DOWNTOWN ELMHURST.ILL. PARKING FREE , PLENTY OF EATERIES AND LOWER SALES TAX. CHICAGO KEEP IN THE GREAT WORK.
Anonymous said...
I see all these meters in Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville. Once again going after the working man. Why not put meters in Englewood or the Westside?
3/22/2009 10:21:00 AM
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I hear your. there are no red light cameras downtown but they are in other parts of the city to screw the working man.
shortshanks answer to media on parking meters: i don't know bout it. take it up with the company that owns them.
Myself along with many others that I know no longer patronize businesses in Chicago, it's just to expensive! We can go to the suburbs, park for free, get products and services for much less, get taxed less, and not get hassled by all the homeless wondering around. The leaders of Chicago just don't understand that you can never tax yourself into prosparity. Why can't they see what is happening? It's simple economics. It's really kind of sad what they have done to what was a great city.
I hear your. there are no red light cameras downtown but they are in other parts of the city to screw the working man.
3/22/2009 08:05:00 PM
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Isn't there one on Kinzie, at Clark or State? I believe that's the only one - that I've ever seen, anyway. And yet, now there's one at Nagle and Devon - one of the most poorly designed intersections either. These things have nothing to do with safety and everything to do with money. I say we start torching them.
If you call the number on the meter and tell them it's broken you get a couple hours free parking. And they can't disprove whether you put a quarter in or not so just call them up every time you park. It takes like 2 minutes.
Pour some super glue on the quater and drop it in the meter, then let the assholes use their cash cow to fix their meters. Fuck them and the City. Who carries around a sack full of quarters with them??? Let the Tea Party start here, I'm sick and tired of these conected assholes sticking it to us over and over again. We are taxed and fined to death in this shit hole city.
NBC Reports Monterray Security working on meters for LAZ Parking.
Owner bio: "As president and founder of Monterrey Security, Juan Gaytan oversees all aspects of the business. Juan has created a training program that exceeds state requirements and far surpasses the competition. He understands the big picture and has recruited a management team that draws on the expertise of police, firefighters, public safety professionals, client relations directors, risk managers and professional sports executives. Juan has built Monterrey Security around the operating philosophy of protection, prevention and service.
As a former member of the Chicago Police Department for nearly a decade, Juan has set the bar for shaping the security and service techniques that Monterrey Security staff employs every day. During his years on the police force, Juan served as a beat officer and later as a member of the Community Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) Team. Juan was also a member of the Mayor's Housing Enforcement Task Force in Chicago, enforcing City building regulations to reduce criminal activity and charging absentee landlords for negligence to their properties where crime was fierce. He was also featured on the Police Department's "Crime Watch" program. "
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