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The cautionary tale of Chicago's privatized parking meters

WBUR
Published January 13, 2026 at 9:55 AM MST

In 2008, Chicago’s mayor decided lease out the city’s metered parking system — to privatize all 36,000 of its parking meters.

Planet Money‘s Nick Fountain reports.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

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