Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan to tax parking downtown is not the solution to a regional problem primarily affecting highways, the industry says.
Reports Jon Hilkevich:
"InterPark and other members of the Parking Industry Labor Management Committee have posted placards in their facilities showing the current taxes and how the top tax would increase 67 percent, from $3 to $5, under Emanuel's plan. The companies are also distributing fliers to their customers encouraging city residents to tell their aldermen to vote against the proposed new fee.
The parking committee contended the new parking tax would create an additional tax burden on workers and businesses and potentially drive companies to relocate to the suburbs or to another metropolitan area.
The committee also said the CTA and Metra could not handle 'any ridership increases the parking tax hike may create' by pushing some drivers to switch to mass transit."
FULL STORY: Parking industry working to defeat congestion tax
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
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Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research