June 27, 2013

Mayor Emanuel Announces Free Sundays Complete Ahead of July 1 Deadline

Chicago Neighborhoods to Enjoy First Weekend of Summer with Free Sundays for the First Time Since the Meters Deal Began; CPM Completes Meters Switch Nearly a Week Ahead of Schedule

Mayor's Press Office    312.744.3334

Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced free Sunday parking is in place across the City ahead of the July 1 deadline. The first wave of wards began offering free parking on Sunday, June 16, 2013 and Chicago Parking Meters (CPM) continued the implementation for all 4,400 pay boxes on a rolling basis. Prior to the parking meter deal, the majority of the city enjoyed free parking on Sundays.

“This weekend of summer in Chicago will be filled with Blackhawks victory parades, the Pride parade, baseball games, barbeques and free parking on Sunday,” said Mayor Emanuel. “I am pleased that CPM was able to move quickly and make sure that this needed break from the awful parking meter deal came even earlier than expected.”

As part of the agreement and contract amendment approved by City Council on June 5, 2013, metered parking spaces in the majority of Chicago neighborhoods will be free on Sundays. This will provide a much-needed benefit to people attending religious services and to those enjoying all that our neighborhoods have to offer on Sundays. Neighborhoods affected are those south of Roosevelt, west of Halsted and north of North Avenue.

The City Council approved the settlement agreement reached between the City and the meter company and proposed amendments to the parking meter contract on June 5, after thorough review that included multiple Aldermanic briefings, four Finance Committee hearings and an independent analysis from Navigant, an outside financial consulting firm. In contrast to the original deal, which allowed for just three days of review, the City Council had 30 days to review the proposed agreement and amendment. 

These revisions, which include $1 billion in savings - $20 million a year - over the life of the contract, a convenient pay-by-cell option and free parking on Sunday, were the result of Mayor Emanuel’s extended fight with the Chicago Parking Meter company and his directive to his financial, technology and legal teams to obtain the tools and strategic positioning necessary to effectively manage and understand the contract in order to benefit taxpayers and motorists.

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