Hinsdale May Further Restrict Parking Deck Use

HINSDALE, IL – The lower level of Hinsdale's downtown parking deck is full at peak times during the week, so the village is looking at restrictions, an official said Tuesday.

When the parking deck opened in summer 2020, the village decided to allow free use of the lower level. Officials wanted to see how things played out, given the pandemic's unpredictability.

A recent audit showed the deck is at capacity from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays. It also found train commuters used about 30 of the 189 spaces.

"Commuters should not be parking in the parking deck," Village President Tom Cauley said at a Village Board meeting.

At the board's next meeting, the village staff plans to propose limiting parking on the lower level to six hours. That would eliminate the commuters, but allow most downtown customers to use the deck, Cauley said.

Such a proposal would also allow downtown merchants and employees to use the lower level while at work, Cauley said.

Cauley also said on-street parking was at capacity, while commuter lots have many spaces available.

Police Chief Brian King said most of the parking tickets on the street are for employees who cannot find spaces in the parking deck.

"By pushing the commuters out, we'll be opening 30 or 40 spaces a day, which should alleviate the parking in the central business district," the chief said.

Trustee Laurel Haarlow asked how the village knew commuters were taking parking deck spaces.

Cauley said officers followed people from the parking deck to the train.

The public can only use the deck's top level on weekends, after 5 p.m. on weekdays, when school is not in session and no school events are taking place. The top level consists of 133 spaces.

The parking deck is at 100 S. Garfield Avenue.