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Commuter lots nearly empty on Monday
The Metra station in Franklin Park was quiet on Monday, May 21, due to the NATO summit in downtown Chicago. The normally full parking lots were half empty (Mark Lawton/Sun-Times Media)
Updated: July 2, 2012 8:35AM
On a normal Monday, the Metra commuter lot in downtown Franklin Park is full with perhaps a latecomer or two driving in circles and hoping for a miracle.
Not so on this Monday morning. With the NATO summit in Chicago, many commuters opted to stay home. At least half the parking spots in Franklin Park were empty.
“A lot of people are getting the day off or something,” speculated Al Huczek, a reserve officer with the Franklin Park Police Department who was collecting parking fees.
“This seems like a weekend,” said Kim A (who declined to give her last name), a Metra ticket agent. “They haven’t been allowing any luggage and absolutely no bikes. A lot of people use bikes to commute their jobs.”
The Elmwood Park station was perhaps even quieter the same afternoon. There were empty parking spots and no commuters in sight.
