Downtown Chicago double-parkers, beware: Fines to triple to $300

At the behest of downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd), the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety on Monday moved to triple — from $100 to $300 — the fine for parking or loading in a lane of traffic or bike lane.


For the full article click here.https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/downtown-chicago-doub...

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Permalink Reply by Sean Newby on April 17, 2018 at 2:12am

raising fines is all well and good, but this will be good news only when (if) the city actually starts enforcing the existing statutes and does so in more than a few precincts because of a vocal alderman.

Permalink Reply by Cheryl on April 19, 2018 at 7:34am

^^^^ This.

Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on April 17, 2018 at 3:13am

Bah. As Sean notes, it's rather pointless if they don't actually enforce the law. They're not enforcing it now, so I don't see this changing anything. I've submitted over 400 311 reports for vehicles illegally parked in the bike lanes, which are $150 tickets, and I haven't seen anything to indicate that they're ticketing vehicles, or that violations are going down.

Permalink Reply by Douglas Price on April 17, 2018 at 4:51am

It's frustrating considering how fervently (daily) they'll ticket you if you forget to renew your registration, but god forbid they write some higher value tickets for people actually impacting others.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on April 17, 2018 at 4:26am
I saw an officer writing a ticket this morning for a car that was in the Dearborn PBL.
Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on April 17, 2018 at 5:02am

A good sign, but seriously, there are very few violators on Dearborn. Based on the BikeLaneUprising data, Franklin St is the main hotspot in the 42nd Ward. This is what really pisses me off. Thousands of 311 reports have been submitted to the city, and they're basically ignored.

Permalink Reply by Alex Z on April 17, 2018 at 8:38am

I agree that Dearborn is mostly well-respected by motorists.

Permalink Reply by Jeremy on April 17, 2018 at 4:31am

I have contacted Brendan Reilly's office a number of times about drivers parked in bus stops during the peak morning commute times.  I haven't seen anything to indicate enforcement is a priority.  I am at least glad to see he recognizes this is a reoccurring issue.

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on April 17, 2018 at 5:17am

Delivery trucks do occasionally (but probably not frequently enough) get parking tickets for violating downtown parking laws. You might not notice it when it is placed on the truck, or removed by the driver.
I have a good source who says that the drivers bring them (occasional tickets) back at the end of the day with their delivery receipts and the company pays it later on. When they do get them they are considered as part of the cost of doing business in this city. The cost is eventually passed on to the customer.
I obviously don't agree with the logic of it. Drivers can use the designated delivery areas but truck drivers are a different breed, they want to get done fast with the least amount of effort. They say that, "watta ya gonna do, dat's business in Chacawgo."

Permalink Reply by Douglas Price on April 17, 2018 at 8:46am

They should add the cost of a tow. I'm confused why they need to park on the street, though, when it seems that even downtown there are ample alleys and loading docks where they could legitimately do their work.

Permalink Reply by Paul Peel on April 23, 2018 at 8:07am

As a driver of one of these delivery trucks I have to say you couldn't be more wrong.  There is far from enough loading zones and dock space to accommodate trucks downtown. And often buildings that have designated loading zones do not make any attempt to keep them clear. There are many buildings with underground loading docks that are unusable because they are full of workers cars. Parking is banned in a lot alleys and that gets enforced more aggressively than double parking. As a bike commuter myself I do my best to respect everyone else who uses the road.  But parking downtown for deliveries is by far the most frustrating and headache inducing aspect of my job.  If I happen to be in the way it's because I have exhausted all of my other options and still have a job to do. Sorry,  but it's never done out of ignorance or laziness.  I can not speak for all drivers, there are bad apples out there. But the majority of drivers I work with do their best to be respectful. 

Permalink Reply by Argonne69 on April 23, 2018 at 9:00am

If a customer isn't keeping their loading dock clear, then they shouldn't get their delivers. A few incidents with missed delivers should send a clear message that they need to ensure that the docks are clear. Some times the customer isn't always right.

I see plenty of deliver trucks double parked when there is room at the curb. Laziness?

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