Overnight parking ban needed in Elgin

I am discouraged that once again the City of Elgin seems to be avoiding taking that final, deep-end plunge to implement a citywide overnight parking ban on its streets. What we again have coming soon are more trial parking bans in certain neighborhoods and a halfhearted truck and trailer ban, both of which appear to be more of a temporary appeasement to distract us rather than the truly permanent solution for which we have been waiting.

Under the proposed truck ban, cargo and panel vans would be allowed to park on our streets. In my neighborhood it looks like the fleets of certain companies use our streets overnight, rather than parking at their place of business, making the area look like a commercial district rather than nice, uncluttered residential one. The problem will not be resolved under the current plan.

If memory serves me we seem to be on the second decade of an endless debate with little or no significant action having been taken. It is painfully obviously to me and others there continues to be some elected and nonelected city officials that will do all they can to obfuscate putting a total, citywide overnight parking ban in place; they really don't want it today and never did.

What confounds us is why so many other communities have long ago implemented bans with few problems, but Elgin has to continue to do perpetual studies, trials and have even more discussions and on and on and on, never getting us to where we have long needed to be. It really is quite simple guys:

Immediately initiate a citywide, year round overnight parking ban on all city streets. In newer neighborhoods, where all houses have a two-car garage and a double wide driveway, make the ban a total street ban, both sides of the street. In older neighborhoods where that is not practical, make the ban an odd-even side of street solution.

Create a program that is self-sustaining. Make the fines sufficient to cover most of the cost of the program and strictly enforce the ban, making certain that sidewalks remain unblocked and passable, too, please. For habitual offenders, tow and impound the vehicle, charging a hefty fee to retrieve. In those extremely rare situations where street parking is an absolute must, issue an exemption sticker that must be displayed on that specific vehicle charging an annual fee and with prudent restrictions, like odd-even parking.

There you go ... a solution that has worked and is working in hundreds of communities in the Chicago area alone. Perhaps we could hire some of those folks to help us implement Elgin's ban, if the city really was serious about it this time around. What do you think?

Fred Moulton

Elgin