Chicago Loop Government Vehicles Park in Tow Zones as Drivers Get Tickets

CHICAGO (WLS) — Finding a parking space in Chicago’s Loop is notoriously difficult. But an ABC 7 I-Team investigation found numerous city and government vehicles occupying clearly marked tow zones, often without visible tickets, as privately owned cars parked nearby were cited.

The concern was raised with the I-Team by attorney Mark Horwitz of the Horwitz Law Group. He said recent changes in parking enforcement mean his clients can no longer stop in areas posted “no standing, no stopping,” even if a driver or passenger stays inside the vehicle.

“This has become a parking lot for the city,” Horwitz said.

He said the restricted spaces, once occasionally used by private drivers for brief stops, are effectively off-limits to the public.

Horwitz said clients once could leave someone in a car while quickly visiting his office, but that practice is now considered illegal while municipal vehicles routinely occupy the same areas.

Over several visits, the I-Team found dozens of vehicles belonging to various city departments and other government agencies parked in marked tow zones. The vehicles were seen along Washington Street between LaSalle and Clark streets, as well as on Clark Street between Washington and Madison streets.

During one visit, ABC7 I-Team Consumer Investigator Jason Knowles recorded a long row of government vehicles in the prohibited areas.

Knowles said he could not find visible tickets on the vehicles, including a USPS van, a citywide pool vehicle and several other government cars. He contrasted that with private vehicles across the street that were being ticketed for parking in the same type of restricted zone.

The I-Team then approached a parking enforcement attendant who was citing a privately owned vehicle while government vehicles remained in the tow zone.

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Knowles asked why the municipal vehicles were not receiving tickets and whether city cars were treated differently from other vehicles.

The attendant did not answer. The I-Team said it also witnessed a second parking enforcement worker pass by government vehicles without issuing citations.

Horwitz said the practice gives taxpayers the impression that Chicago is applying parking rules unevenly.

He said city vehicles from multiple departments appear free to park wherever they need to, while taxpayers are left with few options beyond expensive garages that can charge $14 or $15 for the first half-hour.

The mayor’s press office did not respond to the I-Team’s request for comment. Michael Belsky, comptroller for the Department of Finance, which oversees revenue from parking violations, agreed to address the issue.

Asked how the arrangement looks to drivers who cannot find legal parking while city vehicles occupy tow zones, Belsky said the vehicles belong to employees handling important city business. He added that the city tries to make parking convenient for them.

The I-Team also sought comment from other agencies, including the United States Postal Service, after finding its vehicles in no-standing, no-stopping areas. The USPS had not responded by the time the report aired.

While drivers questioned the apparent double standard, the city comptroller said government vehicles conducting official business are allowed to use the restricted spaces.