"Green Team" To Lend Helping Hand With Parking Meters

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jun 18, 2009 2:40PM

LAZ Parking has heard you loud and clear, Chicago, and they're going to help you out. No, they're not giving the money back to the city and no, they're not going to lower their rates. Instead, frustrated motorists that find themselves flummoxed by the new parking meter boxes will bed assisted by "Green Teams," who will be roaming the streets of neighborhoods with these boxes, distributing instructions on how to properly use them. The helpers earned their name thanks to the green t-shirts they'll be wearing when they pass out the instructions. According to the Sun-Times:

"This is not something they just started. They've been out there since the installation of the boxes began trying to help people understand how to use the boxes and make it a more customer-friendly transition. Customer services is a core value for this company," said [Chicago Parking Meters LLC spokeswoman Avis] LaVelle, a former mayoral press secretary.

"They go where the new installations are -- and where people are likely to be using the boxes and may not be familiar on how to use them."

A staffing agency is charged with hiring the employees, but LaVelle said, "You need people of all ages to relate to parkers of all ages. It also needs to be a diverse group."

Since the boxes started being rolled out, roughly a third of the 3,000 boxes that will eventually be used have been installed. It's also a good time to remind you that the Reader has published part three of their meter investigation, this time looking at who, exactly, benefits from the deal.