Parking Meter Removal
LAZ Parking installed our digital meters over a decade ago, yet the old coin-operated parking meters still exist throughout the City of Chicago.
The original intent to keep these meters was for bike parking. Yet, over the past 10 years bike racks have become commonplace throughout the city. While the coin-operated parking meters have become, they have also become an eyesore throughout the City of Chicago.
The meters have been graffitied, bent, stickered and otherwise vandalised. In addition, they serve no useful purpose anymore. These coin-operated parking meters should be removed on a city-wide basis.
Department of Finance
The Department of Finance controls the parking meter situation, and will not remove them without Aldermanic approval. Upon speaking with the Department of Finance, the historical purpose explained was for bike parking. However, as mentioned above, that purpose is no longer relevant and outdated. The Department of Finance itself, without city-wide approval, cannot remove the meters, en mass.
Aldermanic Approval
Because the City of Chicago has 50 Wards, and each Ward only deals with issues related to that specific Ward, trying to get these eyesores out of our communities has to be done on a) a ward by ward basis and b) specific meter by meter request. At this time, most of the meters are damaged in some way, and there is no current reasoning as to why they still exist.
Some meters have already been removed based on specific requests made. The 47th and 48th Wards were open to the removal, and have submitted requests to have some of the meters removed.
City-Wide Removal
Because the City of Chicago runs on a Ward-specific basis, the amount of time needed to identify each meter, within each Ward, would require a vast amount of resources. Subsequently, that makes no sense to do this on a Ward-by-Ward basis, when it is a city-wide issue.
Therefore, a city-wide implementation measure could be created such that the Mayor’s Office, along with the Department of Finance could create a resolution to permanently remove all coin-operated parking meters throughout the City of Chicago.
What Can You Do?
Contact your local Alderman and make them aware of this issue
Send a note for an additional suggestions using the Contact page