Mount Prospect opens deck up to commuter parking for some residents

To ameliorate the problem of parking in the rapidly developing Mount Prospect downtown, the municipal parking deck adjacent to village hall will be available to some commuters starting Monday.

In a release, the village said a total of 102 spaces on the fourth and fifth levels of the Emerson Street Parking Deck will be available to those with permits, which will be offered to Mount Prospect residents who live north of Northwest Highway and the train tracks.

These residents will be able to purchase a monthly permit for the Emerson Street Parking Deck for $20 - half the price charged for other commuter lot permits in town.

Spaces are available each day on a first-come, first-served basis, just as other public commuter lots, the village said. The reduced fee permit is valid only at the Emerson Street Parking Deck and cannot be used in other public commuter lots. The permit must be purchased at Public Works, 1700 W. Central Road, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, or the Finance Department at the village hall, 50 S. Emerson St., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

Proof of residency is required.

"The village is offering this solution in response to concerns about traffic flow on the south side of the tracks," said Village Manager Michael Cassady.

"It is the hope that offering this additional parking option to residents who live north of the tracks will help alleviate rush hour traffic within downtown, and may reduce the number of vehicles crossing the tracks at Emerson and Main Streets."

For more information on commuter parking options, visit mountprospect.org.