OK. It was a bold move. Bringing paid parking back to Madison Street and Circle Avenue. And then enforcing the restrictions all the way up to midnight.
OK. That midnight part might have been a bridge too far. The village government clearly wanted to capture revenue from visitors to the village’s many fine eating and drinking establishments. Good thinking.
But some combination of opposition from those fine eating and drinking establishments and possibly neighbors on nearby side streets now swamped with the cars of customers who’d rather order an extra appetizer than feed the metaphorical parking meter came together Monday evening as a reasonable village council rolled back enforcement hours to 8 p.m.
OK. A fair compromise. Diners turning up for the first table turn of the evening will still need to pay the village for the privilege of convenient parking. And those who arrive later or who stay on the street for a nightcap (what a quaint term that is) don’t need to keep paying.
We’re fans of the bold effort by the village to maximize its parking revenue. We’re fans of citizens making their case. And, especially, we’re fans of elected officials who can back down a bit and find a more comfortable place. Surely Forest Park has suffered too long with people who disagree retreating to fixed corners and not talking to each other.
This is a better model.
