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Parking Meter Firm Digging Out Pay Boxes

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Here's more proof that Chicago is getting back to normal quickly following the blizzard of 2011. Credit card parking machines are being shoveled out so that motorists once again can pay to park.

LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Bob Roberts reports

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Chicago Parking Meters LLC spokesperson Avis Lavelle confirmed that contractor LAZ Parking's personnel are shoveling paths to each of the hundreds of machines.

"The company took responsibility for making sure that people were not impeded as they tried to approach the meters," Lavelle said. As we go on and as people drive more they're going to have to come to park along the streets and they (LAZ) made the determination they wanted to make it as easy as possible."

The effort is unprecedented, but it's also the first major snowstorm since the city leased its meters and the machines accepting credit cards replaced nearly 30,000 city parking meters.

Mayor Daley said Thursday that tickets were not being issued for motorists who have failed to pay because a parking meter was blocked by snow, whether they have just parked or been marooned in a paid parking area.

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