April 7, 2017
Dear Alderman Burnett, Alderman Ervin, and Alderman Solis,
As described in various media outlets, we understand that the City Council has approved a new resident permit program for public parking spaces along certain blocks in the West Loop. Co-sponsored by each of you in 2015, this program would require all vehicles parked in the locations included in the program between 7 and 9 am to have a resident permit.
Based on our community outreach efforts, a clear majority of West Loop residents that responded support this program. Furthermore, many expressed interest in expanding the program, both in the geographic boundaries and in the daily enforcement times.
To help gather input, we developed a West Loop parking map that shows existing permit parking (gray lines) and sections that are proposed to become permit parking areas as part of the program (red, blue, and green lines). The map also shows additional sections that residents have suggested should be included in the program (gold lines). In addition, some residents have stated that the 7-9am weekday timeframe for the program is insufficient, noting that parking becomes scarce along residential blocks for evening and weekend events downtown and at the United Center. Another resident has suggested leveraging United Center surface parking lots, in combination with shuttle bus services, to provide a parking option for “day-tripper” commuters displaced by the new resident permit parking program.
We also received some questions about the parameters of the program:
- Will this be a single permit zone, i.e., one permit number, or multiple zones?
- Will a resident need to live within certain proximity of a parking zone to be eligible for a permit, or will they just need to live within the West Loop?
- Please clarify if residents will be able to obtain guest, i.e., temporary, parking permits as is done elsewhere in the city.
- Will businesses will be able to purchase parking permits for the spaces in front of their businesses?
Based on the feedback we have received from residents and assuming that the above questions are addressed, Neighbors of West Loop supports this program as an effective first step for preserving the limited public parking volume in the West Loop. Additionally, we would ask that you include the resident-suggested areas identified in the West Loop parking map, either in the first phase of the program or in future phases.
Thank you for your consideration.
Neighbors of West Loop Board of Directors
Listing of Suggested Additions to the Resident Permit Parking Program
- 1-150 N. Aberdeen
- 1-100 S. Aberdeen
- 200-300 S. Aberdeen
- 950-1200 W. Adams
- 1-150 N. Carpenter
- 200-350 N. Clinton
- 550-600 W. Fulton
- 1-160 N. Green
- 100-400 S. Green
- 1200-1260 W. Jackson
- 850-1300 W. Kinzie
- 1-150 N. May
- 800-1260 W. Monroe
- 1-200 N. Morgan
- 1-300 S. Morgan
- 1-100 N. Peoria
- 200-400 S. Peoria
- 1-100 N. Racine
- 100-200 S. Racine
- 1000-1150 W. Randolph
- 1100-1200 W. Randolph
- 1-100 N. Sangamon
- 1-400 S. Sangamon
- 1100-1200 W. Washington