Parking meter costs in Chicago

[Neo]

London currently charges a congestion fee for traveling in congested areas and San Francisco is apparently mulling over the idea of implementing something very similar. Chicago is certainly in this rank when it comes to congestion in areas of downtown, and while the city hasn't introduced a congestion fee, the city is raising rates on parking meters...considerably.

Most of the meters in Chicago are $0.25/hour now...but next year it will be a minimum of $1.00 with some meters costing $3.50. In 2013 those meters will be a minimum of $2.00 with some as much as $6.50.

Is this a good or bad idea? Chicago has an excellent mass transit system and I speak from experience since I lived in the city without owning a car. It is certainly very doable to go almost anywhere in the city without driving or taking a cab.

I doubt many will want to place $1.00 into a meter that has been $0.25, but work likely needs to be done to the transit system (most notably the EL loop around downtown IMO) to handle the influx of folks that will use it as an alternative.

[jas49503]

London currently charges a congestion fee for traveling in congested areas and San Francisco is apparently mulling over the idea of implementing something very similar. Chicago is certainly in this rank when it comes to congestion in areas of downtown, and while the city hasn't introduced a congestion fee, the city is raising rates on parking meters...considerably.

Most of the meters in Chicago are $0.25/hour now...but next year it will be a minimum of $1.00 with some meters costing $3.50. In 2013 those meters will be a minimum of $2.00 with some as much as $6.50.

Is this a good or bad idea? Chicago has an excellent mass transit system and I speak from experience since I lived in the city without owning a car. It is certainly very doable to go almost anywhere in the city without driving or taking a cab.

I doubt many will want to place $1.00 into a meter that has been $0.25, but work likely needs to be done to the transit system (most notably the EL loop around downtown IMO) to handle the influx of folks that will use it as an alternative.

[tamias6]

London currently charges a congestion fee for traveling in congested areas and San Francisco is apparently mulling over the idea of implementing something very similar. Chicago is certainly in this rank when it comes to congestion in areas of downtown, and while the city hasn't introduced a congestion fee, the city is raising rates on parking meters...considerably.

Most of the meters in Chicago are $0.25/hour now...but next year it will be a minimum of $1.00 with some meters costing $3.50. In 2013 those meters will be a minimum of $2.00 with some as much as $6.50.

Is this a good or bad idea? Chicago has an excellent mass transit system and I speak from experience since I lived in the city without owning a car. It is certainly very doable to go almost anywhere in the city without driving or taking a cab.

I doubt many will want to place $1.00 into a meter that has been $0.25, but work likely needs to be done to the transit system (most notably the EL loop around downtown IMO) to handle the influx of folks that will use it as an alternative.

[chazman]

The problem with the new meter rates in Chicago is that it is an example of selling out yet another public asset. Though the city will keep any fines for enforcing the meter laws, it will be a private entity (Morgan Stanley Infrastructure) collecting the meter fees for the next 75 years. I only wished the city council had the courage to raise rates without privatization. 75 years is a long time and the 1.2 billion paid for the privelege of collecting metered money will one day seem like quite the bargain.

As for congestion pricing which the city is also exploring (a separate issue from the meters in that the city is looking at imposing fees in public lots and garages), I don't see why Chicago would not want to join with other progressive cities in altering motorists' behavior especially if collected fees are going to make transit a more appealling option.