The Bad PlaceChicago Sun-Times - All | Beachgoers have mixed feelings about Chicago Park District’s new automated parking gates by Kade Heather
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Chicago Park District has installed new automated gates and license‑plate readers at ten city beaches, requiring drivers to pay by phone or credit card through a QR‑code system that charges automatically on exit; cash is not accepted. The move, aimed at modernising payment enforcement and generating an estimated $9.4 million in parking revenue this year (up from $8.9 million last year), has sparked mixed reactions: longtime beachgoer Jose Gonzalez, who spent about half an hour searching for a spot and would owe roughly $15 for a five‑hour stay, argues that parking should remain free since he already pays taxes, while 21‑year‑old Isaiah Steinberg understands the modest fee as a way to fund park upkeep. The district notes a 15‑minute grace period for drop‑offs, unchanged rates (around $4.07 per hour, max $24 for nine hours), and lists the newly gated locations, including Foster Beach, Waveland Park, Oakwood, the Museum of Science and Industry lots, Rainbow Beach, 63rd Street Beach, Diversey Driving Range, and the upgraded North Avenue Beach.
Beachgoers have mixed feelings about Chicago Park District’s new automated parking gates
The gates and license plate readers were installed at 10 city beaches in an effort to enforce paid parking. Some residents think public parking should be free, while others have no objection to paying a small fee that goes toward maintaining parks.
Rubi Fun