City To Crack Down on Valets

In an effort to weed out "abusive fly-by-night" valet parking companies, City Hall would require valet firms to buy more insurance and more leased parking spaces under an ordinance recommended for approval today by a City Council committee.

The ordinance, proposed by Ald. Brendan Reilly, whose 42nd Ward includes most of downtown, also would increase fines for violating valet parking rules.

"There are a number of smaller fly-by-night valet operators in the City of Chicago that are not carrying adequate insurance," Reilly said. "Or they consistently fail to comply with the current city ordinance and, when fined, they simply build those fines into their cost of doing business rather than correcting their poor business practices."

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