Things didn’t go exactly as planned for the Emmett Street parking lot maintenance. But they are done, a day late and a dollar short I don’t know and I don’t care at what cost (since Chicago Parking Meters, LLC/LAZ Parking is picking up the tab per the city’s 75 year contract with them).
There was some confusion with regard to what exactly consitutes north and south in a lot that’s oriented northwest/southeast, both by LAZ and by drivers. They ended up splitting the maintenance work on a vertical, rather than horizontal axis as first explained. They changed the dates mid-stream so that the switch between south and north (or west and east, if you like) was made a day later than planned and the completion date was a couple of days later. There were some straggler drivers that didn’t make the shift in time. But in the end they completed the project a day later than originally planned, a day earlier than the revised plan.
Bumps and transitions were smoothed (photos above and below).
Parking spaces were restriped.
Two additional handicapped spaces have been added, though not where I would have thought they would be placed (photo above, left). To me, it would make sense to add one by the exit to the alley by McDonald’s and one by the exit to the CTA station, but instead two spaces were added to the middle of that row of parking so that handicapped users can exit to the middle of the alley and the locked back doors of the Milwaukee Avenue businesses. For what purpose?
Placing a handicapped space by the exit to the CTA station with the access/loading aisle nearest the exit would have the added benefit of making that space more accessible to all pedestrians. They left the passage fairly narrow (photo above, middle), which becomes an issue in inclement weather when a car is parked in the first spot. On the other hand, the guard rail between the alley and the CTA station also presents a barrier to wheelchair accessibility, so perhaps a handicapped space there would be for naught.
They did reconfigure, or more accurately configure, the parking on the end nearest the corner of Kedzie Avenue and Emmett Street where no striping existed and parking was a bit of a daily hodge-podge. Parking spaces are now clearly delineated all along Emmett Street (photo above, right), with just three spots delineated across from and perpindicular to them by Kedzie Avenue. I’m not sure if they’ve added or subtracted parking in doing so.
The lot looks nicer, feels smoother. It’s a better product.
Scene in Logan Square:
Logan Square Preservation House and Garden Walk takes place this Saturday, September 11, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., beginning at the Historic Comfort Station, 2579 N. Milwaukee Ave.; for tickets call 773-384-1702
Peopling Places 