Nov. 06--In the fight for precious parking in Chicago, aldermen have added limousines to the class of vehicles that aren't welcome on city streets.
The City Council passed a proposal spearheaded by Northwest Side Ald. Ray Suarez, 31st, on Wednesday prohibiting limos, "whether for hire or not for hire," from parking "at any time" on either residential or business streets within city limits.
Limousines join taxis, trucks, vans, motor homes, trailers, semitrailers and recreational vehicles longer than 22 feet on the list of vehicles banned from parking on residential streets.
Taxis and vans are allowed to park on business streets under city ordinance.
Many of the larger limo services in the Chicago area are based in suburbs close to O'Hare International Airport, so it's unclear how great an impact the parking rule change will have.
The limo parking ban, which will take effect in the next few weeks, comes as Chicago undergoes a seismic shift in the way rides are hired thanks to the expansion of companies like Uber.
City officials have struggled to regulate the new industry, with taxi drivers complaining the ride-share rules backed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel don't do enough to level the playing field by requiring the drivers of private cars who work as drivers for Uber and other transportation companies to meet the costly regulations that govern the cab industry.
In a move officials say will help taxi drivers compete, Chicago officials have said they will develop a universal smartphone app to connect riders with the closest available cab among all taxis so customers don't have to hail cabs from specific companies.
The City Council's new rule on limousine parking comes after Hailo, a London-based dispatch service that contracts with independent taxi drivers and limo chauffeurs, announced last month that it had ended U.S. operations.
