With cars now boot-able after just three unpaid parking tickets, never has it been more important to park in ways that are less offensive to parking enforcers.
That means close to the curb, in the right direction, not too close to a fire hydrant, not between the hours of 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. on a snow route, not during street cleaning, not for more than two hours at most parking meters, not on certain major arteries when there’s more than 2 inches of snow on the ground, not in loading zones, not too close to a stop sign or a crosswalk and not after 6 p.m. in certain residential areas–unless you have a permit.
Basically, “take public transportation,” said one Wrigleyville resident who has been on one too many seemingly endless quests for a space.
But if you have to park, here are some tips experienced Chicago parkers gave us:
– Rent a parking space. This option can be pretty pricey, but if you can spare the cash, it can cut down on the number of public freakouts you have. An hour spent scouring the streets for an empty space the size of a Corolla can get to even the best of us. You can opt for one of the big paved lots, or check around with your neighbors to see if anyone has some extra space in their garage that you can squeeze into for a little less. You may find a deal that way.
– Plot out a route. Drive it. Repeat.
– Be prepared to walk. Sometimes you have to let go of the idea that you’re going to be able to park in front of a restaurant or store. Some successful Chicago parkers said that they skip the main roads and go directly to the side streets or dead-end streets.
– Watch the meters. Too many Chicago drivers have stories of getting a ticket from one to five minutes after their meter expired. Carry quarters with you; most meters won’t take your stinkin’ nickels and dimes.
– Have a Plan B. Find a place where you can go if there is just nowhere to park. Perhaps a street six blocks away where there are always extra spots because there are fewer high-rises, or a paid daily lot that you can use in extreme cases. Leaving your car in front of a tow zone sign in a moment of exasperation, and hoping the tow truck driver will understand what a bad day you had, is not going to work. He or she will not have mercy on you.
– Schedule your day according to parking regulations. In neighborhoods where residential parking takes effect at 6 p.m., everyone without a special permit sticker on their windshield has to vacate the side streets. Some people will leave their cars in the residential areas until 5:59 p.m., then rush to find a space on a non-permit-required road before everyone else starts arriving home from work. Some also wake at 6:50 a.m. to move their cars from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. tow zones where they leave their cars overnight.
– Don’t drive. Once you finally get a good spot, don’t ever move your car again. Take a cab, it’s easier.
– Every once in a while, you may get lucky and find a wide-open parking space.
“Omigod, that makes my day,” said Christine Bowman, 33, of Wrigleyville. “It can be a mood changer.” But those days are few and far between in certain neighborhoods.
– Sell the car. Think of the money you’ll save on car payments, insurance and aggravation.
What the man says about parking
– Watch where you park your car during the winter. Main snow-clearing routes such as Kedzie Avenue or Division Street have an overnight parking ban in effect from Dec. 1 to April 1. There is no parking from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. Ignore the signs, and you face a $150 towing fee and a $50 ticket. Also, parking bans go into effect on other roads when there is more than 2 inches of snow on the ground.
– Your car better be gone when the street cleaners come. (Or, it’s $50) Look for the orange warning signs that are sometimes tied to trees the day before street-cleaning. Also, red and white permanent signs dot most neighborhood streets so you can determine when cleaning is scheduled for your area. Street sweepers are in use from April to December.
– Do not park in restricted areas during rush hour. ($50)
– If you don’t have a residential permit and you’re parking in a permit area after 6 p.m., you are in big, bad trouble. (Delete another $50 from your checking account.)
– Don’t park your car so it’s jutting halfway out into the street, prompting your neighbors to ask, “What the hell was wrong with that person?” The city can ticket you if you are more than 12 inches from the curb.
How to find the perfect parking spot
Everybody seems to have their own parking strategies, according to the neighborhood they live in.
On Taylor Street, UIC students drive some locals crazy because some park their cars at metered spots, then just keep running out to feed the meters every couple of hours, hogging spots for days. As a result, driving down Taylor means weaving through an obstacle course of double-parked cars.
In Hyde Park, Gus Lukis has fielded complaints from his customers at Hyde Park Shoe Rebuilders for 45 years. “It’s always tight,” he says, with a shrug. “The only time you can find parking is when the students leave for the summer.”
With its pretty brownstones, shiny Gap storefronts and college students, Lincoln Park may not be known for instilling fear in people. But when it comes to parking, the North Side neighborhood is frightening. “I never try to park in Lincoln Park. It’s too overcrowded,” said Bryna Hahn, 24, of Wicker Park.
Residents without parking spaces of their own head to the main roads–Fullerton Avenue, Lincoln Avenue and Halsted Street. They also suggest streets near the lake or the zoo.
In Wrigleyville, you also have to study up, memorizing the Cubs’ night game schedule so that you don’t park in a restricted area on game days.
Bea Reyna-Hickey, director of the city’s department of revenue, said the city has been trying to create more parking opportunities, such as adding more parallel parking in some areas.
Along Taylor Street, the city installed pay-and-display boxes that allow more cars to squeeze in along the street. You park your car, walk to a box, feed it money then obtain a receipt that you display in your windshield.
This “freeflow” parking arrangement allows for more cars to fit on the street than those allowed by a traditional parking meter setup, which designates how large each parking space is, Reyna-Hickey said.
What happens if you get a ticket?
You’ve got seven days to pay up or contest the ticket. You can pay online, by mail or in person. There are no payment plans.
If you believe you’ve been given a ticket in error (imagine that), you can contest it by mail (be sure to include any evidence you have, such as photos, etc.) or you can request a hearing. Bea Reyna-Hickey, director of the department of revenue, said the city does take your complaints seriously. In about 60 percent of the cases where a driver contests a ticket, the person is found not liable, she said.
If you believe your car has been towed, call the city’s auto pound at 312-744-4444.
It’s going to cost $150 to get it out. They charge a minimum of $10 a day to store the car for the first 5 days, then $35 a day every day after that. Add more for vehicles that weigh more than 8,000 pounds. If you leave it in the pound for more than 15 days, the pound may auction it off or destroy it. You will be notified by certified mail if it comes to that.
What type of parker are you?
– The Vulture: You circle and circle your neighborhood until you find a spot.
– The Spy: You surreptitiously keep an eye on people walking near cars until you identify someone who is leaving. When they move for their keys, you pounce.
– The I-don’t-care-I will-pay-anything-to-avoid-this-nightmare: You valet whenever and wherever possible.
– The Dirty, Bad and Wrong parker: You are illegal all the time. You double park, you leave your blinkers on and go in for the night, you park in lots where you don’t pay, you park in front of tow zone signs, hydrants–it all means nothing to you.
– The Blessed One: Somehow, you can always find a good spot on the street–20 feet from Halsted Street during the Gay Pride parade, right in front of the movie theater at Clark and Diversey or next to any packed restaurant in River North. We hate you.
– The Bumper-Car Driver: You park like a 10-year-old handling a bumper car, ramming the cars in front of and behind you with reckless abandon. If someone catches you in the act, you grin sheepishly and fake an “oops!” but we know you’re responsible for all the scratches on our cars.
