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WEST LOOP — A new morning parking ban that aims to help alleviate parking problems for West Loop residents is set to be approved soon, an alderman confirmed this week.
Aimed at discouraging suburban "day-trippers" from parking in the area and heading to work Downtown, the ban presented to neighbors last week would prohibit street parking from 7-9 a.m. weekdays — but make an exception for West Loop residents.
If all goes well, new parking signs could be installed by the end of the summer, Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) said Wednesday.
The plan aims to improve parking in an area bound by Van Buren Street on the south, Washington Street on the north, Green Street on the east and Ashland Avenue on the west.
Under the plan, signs prohibiting parking from 7-9 a.m. weekdays will be installed on about 20 blocks, including:
• Morgan Street, two blocks on the east side of the street between Randolph and Madison
• Sangamon Street, one block on the east side of the street between Randolph and Washington
• Sangamon Street, half block on the west side of the street between Washington and Madison
• Peoria Street, two blocks on the east side of the street between Randolph and Madison
• Elizabeth Street, half block on east side of the street between Washington and Madison
• Racine Avenue, half block on west side of the street between Washington and Madison
• Racine Avenue, one block on east side of the street between Madison and Monroe
• Aberdeen Street, one block on the east side of the street between Madison and Monroe
• Monroe Street, half block on north side of the street between Loomis and Throop
• Aberdeen Street, one block on the east side of the street between Jackson and Van Buren
• Morgan Street, one block on the east side of the street between Jackson and Van Buren
• Sangamon Street, one block on the east side of the street between Jackson and Van Buren
• Sangamon Street, half block on the east side of the street just south of Van Buren
• Tilden Street, one block on north side of the street between Aberdeen and Morgan
• Laflin Street, one block on west side of the street between Adams and Jackson
• Laflin Street, one block on east side of the street between Jackson and Van Buren
• Loomis Street, one block on east side of the street between Adams and Jackson
• Loomis Street, one block on the west side of the street between Jackson and Van Buren
• Throop Street, one block on east side of the street between Madison and Monroe
• Throop Street, two blocks on the west side of the street between Adams and Van Buren
Reggie Stewart, who heads Burnett's committee on traffic safety, said the measure is expected to pass at the July 26th City Council meeting. Installation dates are currently being finalized, Burnett said.
Although Burnett previously said at the meeting that the new parking plan had passed City Council, city records indicate that the measure, first introduced in 2015, has not yet received final approval.
On Wednesday, Burnett confirmed the measure had not yet passed, and apologized for the confusion.
"I thought it did pass, and I don't know where the confusion came from," he said.
Unlike a previous pilot program that banned parking from 1:30-3:30 p.m. weekdays, residents would be able to obtain a permit to park on streets from 7-9 a.m. weekdays. Once signs are up, West Loop residents will need to obtain a annual residential parking permit for $25 at City Hall or one of the Office of the City Clerk's satellite offices. Guest passes will also be sold.
The ordinance, co-sponsored by West Loop aldermen Danny Solis (25th) and Jason Ervin (28th), was introduced in the city's Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety on January 21, 2015, more than two years ago.
With development booming and construction crews taking over large parts of the West Loop, Burnett said the new parking plan will get West Loop residents much-needed parking relief.
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-December 2013, drivers were prohibited from parking along select neighborhood streets from 1:30-3:30 p.m. 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.
RELATED: Free Parking By United Center All But Gone As Ban Extends To Western Ave.
West Loop Parking Policy Community Meeting Presentation (1) by DNAinfo Chicago on Scribd
