Parking in Oak Park is hard to find and the rules governing it are confusing at best, so officials are trying to make regulations simpler, and are inviting the public to input their thinking at an upcoming meeting of the transportation commission.
A pilot study of a specific area of the village—that lying within the boundaries of Oak Park Avenue, Harrison Street, South Boulevard, and Harlem Avenue—will be modified in the hope of helping the residents who park there. Residents are asked to listen to the presentation, then provide their feedback. If they would like to examine the plan in detail, it is available on the village's website.
After the meeting is over, the transportation commission will likely make recommendations to the Oak Park Village Board. If the ideas are approved, the pilot program is expected to last for six months; an option will be put in place to extend the study for another six months if more information is deemed necessary. Probably the biggest change being considered is to replace traditional parking meters with a pay-by-license-plate technology, whereby drivers us their license plate numbers to pay for the time they want to park.
The meeting is scheduled to take place at the village hall next Monday, April 23, beginning at 7:00 pm.
Meeting like this provide a lot of information, so officials might work with a flyer printing company to create an informative handout for attendees.
