Living Car Free - Chicago Parking Meter Rate Increase

Recently, the City of Chicago leased to a private company its future parking meter revenues and meter maintenance obligations in exchange for an up front large one time payment (the city retains the revenues from tickets, but the private company keeps the money from the meters). In some parts of the city near downtown, meters are now 24/7 with no holidays and cost $3.50 per hour (they installed pay boxes so people could pay with a credit card because no one keeps that many quarters). In many of the further out neighborhoods where the meter rates were previously $0.25 per hour, the rates increased 400% to $1.00 per hour. On residential side streets where there are no meters, parking is generally tight and sometimes there are parking permit requirements/restrictions.

Since then (even though it is winter and we have had cold weather and snow), I've noticed more and more bicycles being used for transportation. Whereas I used to be the only cyclist stopped at a red light, now there are frequently five or six cyclists stopped and waiting with me at some red lights, even at night. I have to go outside of the bike lanes or bike ways into the main traffic lane to pass slower cyclists. Finally, frequently I get to where I want to park my bike and the bike racks (we have many throughout the city) are often full or crowded, requiring me to lock my bike to a parking meter. Oh, and at the same time, our mass transit costs increased so that trains now cost $2.25 and buses cost $2.00.

I think "da Mayuh" in an attempt to raise new revenues for the city, just did us all a favor and unintentionally set in place policies which will increase the use of bicycles as transportation. I say "unintentionally" because even though he is a big "bicycles as transportation" supporter, I just don't think he realized how much the increased cost of parking in these tough economic times would cause more people to give up their cars or simply drive them less in an effort to save money. He wanted them to just pay more so the city could make up for some of its other revenue shortfalls. Thank you Mayor Daley. That said, many of my friends still think I'm crazy when I show up to volleyball practice a few miles from my home on a bicycle in 20 degree weather at night, ride to the after practice dinner at a restaurant a few miles away and walk in only three or four minutes after the others arrived in their cars, and then ride home when we're done. I even have an immigrant friend who moved here from China a few years ago ask me why I ride my bike all the time when I own a car. Some people just don't get it. Happy cycling to all.

Good post, thanks.

That is one of the major strategies for reducing cars-in-cities problems that's been proven to work, yes. It's generally a winner for the city, especially if they still have enough people coughing up the money to keep the spots about 85% full during the peak, which is pretty close to the sweet spot for fixed rate metered parking. More sophisticated (and effective for revenue generation) is a citywide metering system that dynamically adjusts fares until about 85% of spaces are full at any given time.

sweet !

I think the mayor has sold off all of Chicago's assets by now - Started with the Skyway, and everything else he could get rid of for a short term pocket full of money to make him look good --- the day will come to pay the piper!!!!

Finally, frequently I get to where I want to park my bike and the bike racks (we have many throughout the city) are often full or crowded, requiring me to lock my bike to a parking meter.

I guess the obvious answer is to use some of the parking revenues to install more bike racks. You might want to e-mail Daley to request this.

I don't understand how you lock your bike to a parking meter. Wouldn't a thief be able to just lift the bike, lock and all, and slip it right over the top of the meter?

Just watch, soon the bike racks will have their own meters.

Just watch, soon the bike racks will have their own meters.

Would meters on bike racks be a good thing or a bad thing?

I don't understand how you lock your bike to a parking meter. Wouldn't a thief be able to just lift the bike, lock and all, and slip it right over the top of the meter?

Often each post has two meters so they are wider at the top. Some single head meters have jug handles to serve as bike locks.

That parking meter money is already long gone - never to be replaced again, and nothing to show for it other than political graft....

That parking meter money is already long gone - never to be replaced again, and nothing to show for it other than political graft....

But more bikes on the road is something to show for it? The mayor's cronies get rich and the regular people get fewer cars on the street and less air pollution. That seems like a better outcome than usual for these political operations. If this politician keeps delivering better quality of life for the money we might want to elect him president. What did we get in return for all the money that went to the rich for the "war on terror" or the wall street bail outs? It could have gone to improved passenger rail and walkable communities and the same rich people could've taken just as big a cut, and we'd have a better quality of life to show for it. I used to think America has the best politicians money can buy but in the past decade I've changed my mind. This Chicago mayor seems like the old style where the graft produces results.

I don't understand how you lock your bike to a parking meter. Wouldn't a thief be able to just lift the bike, lock and all, and slip it right over the top of the meter?

U-Lock through the rear triangle. Too much bike in the shackle to make room in it to clear the parking meter. Actually my preferred locking anchor downtown--plenty available, conveniently located, and out of the pedestrian walkways. Plus I can't resist the little dig at being able to park at one for free.

And I thought my $2.00 an hour that I paid today was bad. I am currently out sick and I was not willing to park in my garage and walk the mile. I think the school has a monopoly though as the campus is so big that it is ridiculous. I started riding to class because from the garage to my classes because I can ride to class faster than I am able to walk across campus.

Market pricing of parking is something we should probably support. Parking is one of the major reasons I commute, it's just too much of a hassle, and too much time wasted.

Would meters on bike racks be a good thing or a bad thing?

A matter of perspective. I, personally, would hate to lose the freedom and economy of unregulated parking, but if ten times as many people suddenly started biking around that freedom would become a hassle anyway.

New York City replaced their cash meters with electronic "Muni' meters years ago. It is a rip-off first class and it did reduce the amount of on street parking over the years. However, I've heard the motorist have adjusted to the high prices and situations have returned back to where they used to be in the past. Incredible.

I've said it before that motoring is becoming more expensive each year between high fuel, insurance and parking costs. The middle class motorist is being squeezed to no extent for revenue like never before and I have no idea when it's going to end. Without question, this contant extraction of money from the motorist is effecting our overall economy for the worse.

U locks conveniently do not fit over the top of the Chicago parking meters. It is really quite safe and it is what we all did before the city went crazy and installed bike racks all over the place about five years ago.

... I've said it before that motoring is becoming more expensive each year ...

No. Motoring has always been expensive and this expense has never been carried solely by the motorist. It is heavily subsidized by all tax payers. The true cost of motoring should include substantial taxes to pay for clinics where people can receive free treatment for respiratory ailments related to pollution caused by motor vehicles. The same tax should be on electricity from coal fired power stations, etc. - tax the producer not the consumer, even if the producer passes on the cost to the consumer.

The subsidies that energy consumers receive from non-energy consumers is massive.

New York City replaced their cash meters with electronic "Muni' meters years ago. It is a rip-off first class and it did reduce the amount of on street parking over the years. However, I've heard the motorist have adjusted to the high prices and situations have returned back to where they used to be in the past. Incredible.

I've said it before that motoring is becoming more expensive each year between high fuel, insurance and parking costs. The middle class motorist is being squeezed to no extent for revenue like never before and I have no idea when it's going to end. Without question, this contant extraction of money from the motorist is effecting our overall economy for the worse.

Interesting thing is that back in 1920's took up more as a percentage of income than they do today, but it is getting more expensive compared to the previous 10 years or so. IIRC the percentage of income spent on a car bottomed our somewhere around 1969-1972 and has been increasing since.

Aaron:)