Solution possible for 'chronic safety issues' with US Postal Service vehicles parked in Lincoln Park

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A parking nightmare involving mail trucks on Chicago's North Side may soon be solved with a new lease at a nearby lot. For months, the ABC7 I-Team observed U.S. Postal Service vehicles illegally parked, blocking vision and stop signs for drivers near the USPS Lincoln Park Annex on Clark Street.

The issue has escalated from the alderman all the way to Congress.

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Each time the I-Team checked, truck after truck after truck were seen blocking bike lanes and stop signs, reducing visibility for drivers and pedestrians. The postal vehicles are parked near two neighborhood schools.

"The parents and students at the local school have talked about the near misses that have taken place because of the blind spots and the inability for kids to walk across an intersection safely," U.S. Congressman Mike Quigley told the I-Team.

The Democrat represents much of Lincoln Park and says the Postal Service knew six years ago they were losing one of their parking lots.

"USPS knew this was going to be a problem, and they did nothing, or there was a lot of incompetence," Rep. Quigley said.

He says, as of now, there is only one entity capable of legally ticketing or towing these mail trucks, leaving Chicago police legally powerless.

"Strangely enough, frustratingly enough, only the post office police force could do this... and obviously that wasn't going to happen," Quigley said. "Talk about frustration, the inability of the federal government to coordinate... there was almost nothing we could do besides embarrass them."

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Shame can be a powerful motivator, because after months and intermittently years of the illegal parking, Quigley says a solution may be on the horizon. He says just this week USPS told his office it signed a parking lease for its vehicles with a nearby garage.

"The only issue that makes this transition slower is there's a height limit in this parking location, so they have to transition," said Quigley.

According to the congressman, the postal service will have to use smaller vehicles that will fit in the garage.

On Tuesday, the I-Team visited the parking garage where we were told USPS has a new lease, only finding one postal vehicle inside. On Thursday, there were several more, but the parking problem persists.

"If the risks are to kids trying to get to school, they should have just found some way to literally bring the cars, the trucks in to pick up what needed and move and out of the way immediately," Quigley said.

The I-Team has reached out to the parking garage and the U.S. Postal Service to confirm a new contract and the number of vehicles they are planning to house there, but have not heard back. The U.S. Postal Service has also not responded to the I-Team about the illegal parking of its vehicles.

Quigley told the I-Team he remains skeptical this will be the solution, because this has been an ongoing problem for years.