WEST LOOP — A new morning parking ban that aims to solve the West Loop's parking woes could be implemented as soon as this summer, an influential West Loop alderman said Monday.
Aimed at discouraging suburban "day-trippers" from parking in the area and heading to work Downtown, 27th Ward Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. hopes a ban that would prohibit street parking from 7 to 9 a.m. weekdays — but make an exception for West Loop residents — can be approved by the City Council soon.
If all goes well, new parking signs could be installed by summer, Burnett told DNAinfo Monday.
Unlike a previous pilot program that banned parking from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, residents would be able to obtain a permit to park on streets from 7 to 9 a.m. weekdays. The proposed ordinance aims to improve parking in an area bound by West Van Buren Street on the south, West Washington Street on the north, Green Street on the east and Ashland Avenue on the west.
Under the draft ordinance, signs prohibiting parking from 7 to 9 a.m. on weekdays would be installed on more than 20 blocks, including:
Northeast area
• 1-150 N. Morgan St., two blocks on the east side of the street between Randolph and Madison
• 100-150 N. Sangamon St., one block on the east side of the street between Randolph and Washington
• 1-100 N. Sangamon St., half-block on the west side of the street between Washington and Madison
• 1-150 N. Peoria St., two blocks on the east side of the street between Randolph and Madison
Central area
• 1-100 N. Elizabeth St., half-block on east side of the street between Washington and Madison
• 1-100 N. Racine Ave., half-block on west side of the street between Washington and Madison
• 1-100 S. Racine Ave., one block on east side of the street between Madison and Monroe
• 1-100 S. Throop St., one block on east side of the street between Madison and Monroe
• 1-100 S. Aberdeen St., one block on the east side of the street between Madison and Monroe
• 1300-1400 W. Monroe St., half-block on north side of the street between Loomis and Throop
Southeast area
• 300-400 S. Aberdeen St., one block on the east side of the street between Jackson and Van Buren
• 300-400 S. Morgan St., one block on the east side of the street between Jackson and Van Buren
• 300-400 S. Sangamon St., one block on the east side of the street between Jackson and Van Buren
• 400-426 S. Sangamon St., half-block on the east side of the street south of Van Buren
• 1000-1100 S. Tilden St., majority of block on north side of the street between Aberdeen and Morgan
Southwest area
• 200-300 S. Laflin St., one block on west side of the street between Adams and Jackson
• 300-400 S. Laflin St., one block on east side of the street between Jackson and Van Buren
• 200-300 S. Loomis St., one block on east side of the street between Adams and Jackson
• 300-400 S. Loomis St., one block on the west side of the street between Jackson and Van Buren
• 200-400 S. Throop St., one block on the west side of the street between Adams and Van Buren
The ordinance, co-sponsored by West Loop aldermen Danny Solis (25th) and Jason Ervin (28th), was introduced to the city's Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety on January 21, 2015 — more than two years ago — but has been stuck in committee since.
With development booming and construction crews taking over large parts of the West Loop, aldermen now aim to pass the ordinance soon so the more than 100 new signs can be installed this summer, Burnett said, giving West Loop residents much-needed parking relief.
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Because the area is ever-evolving, Burnett said some changes could be made regarding the specific streets that get signs before the plan is approved. Neighbors were requesting changes at a development meeting hosted by the West Loop Community Organization and Solis last week.
"We are trying to get this done before the interest and the concerns of the area change," Burnett said.
Failed midday parking ban
The new morning parking ban comes after a midday parking ban in the West Loop was abandoned after neighborhood groups pushed to end the pilot program in 2014.
From July through December in 2013, drivers were prohibited from parking along select neighborhood streets from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays.
At the time, Armando Chacon, president of the West Central Association, said the restrictions were "not received overly well" and made "the parking situation even worse."
Although the ban was able to reduce day-trippers, local residents didn’t like it because there was no exception for them, Chacon said. Businesses didn’t like it because customers couldn't park on the street during the middle of the day.
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