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For those of us who live in Lakeview or end up there pretty often, the amount of car traffic there can be pretty awful. This was sent to me, and it seems like it's a pretty crappy deal by an alderman that I thought would be more in favor of reducing traffic in his turf:

Alderman Tom Tunney is negotiating with the Cubs, and he wants more parking -- as much as 20 percent of Wrigley Field's capacity.*  Many of us feel Lakeview has enough cars on our streets already, and we would rather see investments in bicycling, transit, shuttles and sidewalks instead to serve residents and visitors.  Do you agree?
Please sign the petition TODAY and send this message to Alderman Tunney and the Cubs.  The Cubs have set a deadline of Monday, April 1 for an agreement around renovations, parking, and more.  They need to hear our voice.

Thanks!

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+1

Suzanne said:

3.  Agreed, some people need wheelchair and special needs access.  Let's accommodate them, and not block their way with 8,000 cars trying to park next door.

Because every new place to park, invites another car to drive into the city. Planners have known this for years. If there's just not enough spots, people are more likely to try a better way to get there.

Kevin C 4.1 mi said:

I'm with David. Why is a dedicated parking facility, which will presumably relieve some of the demands on available street parking a bad thing?

David Barish said:

I would like to hear more about why I should sign this. I am a little confused by the issues here and would love to read opinions.  My understanding (which may not be accurate) is that the Cubs want to add to the ballpark, perhaps close off a street and open a hotel.  My understanding is that the alderman, amongst other things wants the Cubs to increase parking if they do this. I am aware he has other issues as do the residents.

[snip]

You may have spoken too soon.This article calls for a pedestrian bridge to be installed over Clark, from the hotel towards Wrigley.

And it also states that a parking garage on the green lot is indeed part of the Cubs plan.

David crZven 10.6 said:

And you clearly live in a dream world.  The Hotel is proposed for Clark and Addison.  The Red Line Station is several blocks down Addison from the Hotel.   Its not only not a conceivable expense, it is physically impossible.   It crosses at least two streets and they City would certainly not allow a skybridge to be built across the front of Wrigley.

Yes!  Chair lifts from Truman College. And pedicabs.

h' 1.0 said:

I don't know if I'm glad... or dissapointed to learn I don't live in a dream world (it sounded kind of nice.)

 


Duppie 13.5185km said:

You may have spoken too soon.This article calls for a pedestrian bridge to be installed over Clark, from the hotel towards Wrigley.

And it also states that a parking garage on the green lot is indeed part of the Cubs plan.

David crZven 10.6 said:

And you clearly live in a dream world.  The Hotel is proposed for Clark and Addison.  The Red Line Station is several blocks down Addison from the Hotel.   Its not only not a conceivable expense, it is physically impossible.   It crosses at least two streets and they City would certainly not allow a skybridge to be built across the front of Wrigley.

Have you signed yet?  The petition is getting coverage in the Tribune and on tv, with updates on number of signatures.  If you care about transportation choices and urban communities, sign on and be counted (and share with your friends).

http://www.change.org/petitions/alderman-tom-tunney-chicago-cubs-do...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-chicago-cubs-...

I live in Uptown so I walk to games and I ride the red line every day to work, but for groups or families public transportation is not cheap.  My frame of reference is a Sox game.  I can give the Sox $23 and BP $4 or CTA $18 round trip (4 people).  Its quicker and more comfortable door to seat to drive and I don't have to expose my family to red line bums and filth.  If I'm already spending $150+ for the game, $9 to avoid standing with a sleeping kid or explaining why there are beer cans and urine on the floor (those who ride the CTA know I'm not exaggerating) is cheap.

It even makes sense for me to sometimes drive to places like the Shedd, although I often take CTA even with the family.  Biking for trips like that is not an option for us. 


Suzanne said:

David,

I'll give it a try.  1.  Transportation choices are cheap, compared to parking.  Let's try investing in, and clearly marketing, these choices to get to Wrigley Field first.  If that takes care of the demand, the neighborhood and environment is better off, without a permanent, expensive concrete structure.

2.  Alderman Tunney's request for up to 8,000 new parking spaces is not for the hotel, it is for the 100-year old ball field.  He has requested stand-alone, multi-level parking for 20% of Wrigley Field current (not new) capacity, in response to neighbors' concerns that people park on our streets:

"...as a condition of allowing renovations at Wrigley Field, a strong majority of residents support requiring Wrigley Field to use neighboring land owned by the Cubs to provide parking for at least twenty percent of their capacity, such as building a multi-story parking garage.  The positions I have taken in my discussions with the Cubs closely mirror those of my constituents."  Alderman Tom Tunney, March 8, 2013 http://www.44thward.org/site/epage/142019_1026.htm  

A new parking garage will cost about $7 million, so the Cubs will charge to recover costs.  People who now park cheaply (sometimes illegally) on streets or in neighbors' spots will continue to do so.  Meanwhile, there's a new $10 million TIF-funded parking garage at Truman College that is underutilized.  It will not go away, so let's use this and existing lots first.  Internet apps can connect drivers to parking.

3.  Agreed, some people need wheelchair and special needs access.  Let's accommodate them, and not block their way with 8,000 cars trying to park next door.

4. Neighbors' parallel concern is traffic.  Transportation choices are a better solution to traffic.

David Barish said:

Seating capcity for Madison Square Garden is just under 20,000. http://www.thegarden.com/faq.html

Seating capacity for Wrigley Field is just over 41,000. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrigley_Field

I see apple and oranges here.

New York City can be viewed as a cyclists utopia as its simply crazy to own or operate a car.  Nowhere to drive, nowhere to park.  The cost of vehicle ownership is prohibitive. The millions of people who live there in a much more dense area have no choice but to cope. Chicago is not the same city, even at its most congested. 

We are on the same page in terms of wanting less motor vehicle traffic.  We differ insofar as my eyes are open and I see that vehicles will be there and feel that something has to be done about them. I am not on the side of either the Cubs or the alderman.  As a citizen, I think they ought to increase parking of all kinds if they are doing any significant renovation and expansion of the park.

I am willing to sign the petition if somebody can explain why this proposal is flawed outside of a general rant about why cars are bad and why nobody should ever drive. 

Build it and they will come. 

Yes, speaking of Yankee Stadium, they've made this mistake already and built a massive parking garage that sits more than half empty, leading them to default on bond payments.

What a great investment that turned out to be. Let's not repeat the same mistake. We already have spaces that aren't filling up in the neighborhood, and we've already invested too much in trying to get people to drive their cars into Lakeview by forcing other private developers to build too much parking. Forcing people to build excess parking is a form of public subsidy that floods the market with supply in order to drive prices down, encouraging more people to drive.


Duane Waller said:

Actually, you should be asking if a lot of NYers drive to see the Mets or Yankees, and the answer is yes. Also, MSG isn't in an area that is predominantly residential, like Lakeview, so no one would really give a rat's a** if a billion people drove there. 


Alex Z said:

Do you think a lot of New Yorkers drive to Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks? What about Chicagoans driving to Lollapalooza?

done!

Suzanne said:

Have you signed yet?  The petition is getting coverage in the Tribune and on tv, with updates on number of signatures.  If you care about transportation choices and urban communities, sign on and be counted (and share with your friends).

http://www.change.org/petitions/alderman-tom-tunney-chicago-cubs-do...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-chicago-cubs-...

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