Disabled Street Parking Remains Open--For Months
CHICAGO (CBS) -- You see them all over the city: Parking spaces, reserved for a specific disabled person.
CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez reports on why some of these spots are sitting empty in some of Chicago's most congested neighborhoods.
In Rogers Park, residents often compete with beach-goers for available parking.
"It's nearly impossible," said resident Glen Odagawa. "In the day it's impossible, after 7 o'clock, good luck."
Drivers have to circle the block several times before finding an open parking space.
But there is one spot, reserved for a disabled person, that has been open since April.
In fact, the resident who used the space on Eastlake Terrace, moved.
However, it wasn't until a neighbor phoned Ald. Joe Moore's office that the process to remove the sign began.
So why is it still there?
Part of it is lack of resources to make the process faster. Then, there is the process itself, which requires contact with several different agencies of city government.
The process starts in the alderman's office. Then the request moves to the finance department, city council, a council committee, and finally back to city council for a vote before the sign department can take action.
"If we had enough people, we could remove it in one month, not three or four months," Moore said.
"In these tough economic times, you have to make tough choices: do we hire more people in the sign department, or do we put more cops on the street?"
The alderman says he thinks most people would opt for the cops.
Residents who have these reserved spots are supposed to let the city know when they move.
If they don't and you see a spot like that don't assume the city knows. Give them a call.
