Despite complaints from local residents, metered parking will make Montrose Beach less car-centric; help the city's bottom line; and even, counterintuitively, make driving to the beach less of a hassle for those who choose to do so.
"There’s no collaborative tool that can replace in-person networking," Metra CEO Jim Derwinski insisted. "You can’t build a company culture on a video call.”
Reagan-era legislation prohibits transit agencies from favoring local firms and workers for infrastructure projects. Lifting the ban could provide new opportunities.