Episode

Chicago Could've Bought Back Its Parking Meters. The Mayor Said No.

Podcast: The Block Club Chicago Podcast
Published: Jun 30, 2026
Duration seconds: 1758
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Summary

Alderpeople learned last Thursday that Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration secretly offered about $3.3 billion last fall to reclaim control of the city’s parking meters — a whopping $800 million more than the next-highest bidder. In a statement afterward, a spokesperson for the mayor said when Johnson decided to drop the city’s bid in January, he highlighted the high cost of regaining control of the meters.