This letter was originally published in the Chicago Tribune. You can read the original here: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/31/letters-073125-lucas-museum/
Steve Weinshel’s argument against reducing parking requirements along transit corridors misses the mark and clings to a 20th century urban planning mindset (“Cutting parking requirements while upzoning Broadway will create a crisis,” July 20). It is not utopian to imagine a Chicago where most people do not own cars. Many of us already live that reality. My spouse and I moved to Edgewater because we can live here without a car. We walk, bike and take transit because that is what a city should offer: the freedom to get around without being forced into car ownership.
Cars are deceptively expensive. In 2024, AAA estimated the average cost to own and operate a car is $12,297 per year. That figure is likely even higher in Chicago. The cost to build off-street parking is also prohibitively high. According to Elevated Chicago, an underground spot costs $42,000 to build. That cost gets passed on to renters and buyers, whether they own a car. This city cannot be affordable if every household needs to own a car and every car needs its own house.
Removing parking mandates is not “urban planning malpractice” — it is smart policy. Requiring parking increases car ownership and traffic. Each car needs multiple parking spots throughout the day, fueling demand for wasteful surface lots that contribute to flooding and the heat island effect and make neighborhoods less walkable and bikeable.
But eliminating parking minimums is just one step. We must invest in walking, biking and public transit to support both future and current residents. The $2.1 billion Red-Purple Line modernization is a great start. We also need protected bike lanes, camera-enforced bus-only lanes and fully funded transit. That is why Springfield must pass the transit reform and funding package already approved by the state Senate as soon as possible.
Let’s build a more affordable, healthier and sustainable city. More housing, more transit, more bikes and less parking are the future Chicago deserves. Cities all over the world from Paris to Tokyo have done this. Why can’t Chicago?