Pilot program seeks solutions to parking challenges

New rules and regulations designed to simplify and streamline Oak Park’s parking rules and regulations will be tested this year in one of the Village’s most in-demand parking areas — Harlem Avenue east to Oak Park Avenue and South Boulevard south to Harrison Street, including portions of the adjacent business districts.

If the approaches tested in this parking pilot program area prove effective balancing the often competing demands of businesses, employees, customers, single-family residents, multifamily residents and commuters, officials say the simplified and streamlined rules also may work in other areas in Oak Park.
Changes in the following six categories will be tested in the parking pilot program area:

• Standardized parking limits on residential streets – Time limits will be standardized to three hours between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday on all streets in the pilot program area that currently have daytime limits or restrictions. This change is intended to provide more consistency than the current regulations, which can vary from block to block. New parking regulatory signage is expected to begin going up in March.
• Exempt block residents from time-limited restrictions – Residents whose vehicles display a valid Village vehicle sticker will now be exempt from the time limit if they park on the same block as their home during the day. This change will be effective in March.
• Extend paid metered parking to 8 p.m. – Paid parking hours will be extended to 8 p.m. from the current 6 p.m. at meters and pay stations in the parking pilot program area to create more turnover in parking spaces near businesses. This change should particularly benefit restaurants and their customers by creating more available parking spaces during busy dining hours. This change will be effective in February.
• Graduated pricing at pay stations – Vehicle operators will have the option to stay longer than three hours at pay stations in the parking pilot program area if they pay more. The rate at parking pay stations in the pilot area will continue to be $1 per hour for the first three hours, but rise to $3 per additional hour with no time-limit. This approach is intended to encourage customers to park at meters and pay-by-plate spaces for shorter durations and encourage long-term parkers to use parking garages, which offer lower, longer-term rates. This change will be effective in February.
• Introduce pay-by-plate parking on Madison Street – Pay stations for nearly 100 new pay-by-plate parking spaces will become operational on Madison Street to create higher turnover near businesses. The new equipment already has been installed.
• Add additional night permit parking on Madison, Pleasant and Marion – Permit holders will be allowed to park overnight at designated metered and pay-by-plate spaces on Madison, Marion and Pleasant streets. This change, which is set to begin in February, is intended to create additional inventory of overnight parking spaces in these high-demand areas.

Information about the parking pilot program is posted on the Village website at www.oak-park.us/parkingpilot. Questions should be directed to the Parking Services Division at 708.358.7275 or parking@oak-park.us.

General information about parking in Oak Park is posted at www.oak-park.us/parking.