Cook County To Close Several Popular Forest Preserve Parking Lots On Weekends Due To Overcrowding Amid COVID-19 Crisis
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The parking lots for several popular Cook County forest preserves will be closed Fridays through Sundays, after Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said too many people were violating social distancing guidelines.
Starting tomorrow, parking will be banned at at Busse Woods in Elk Grove Village; Maple Lake and Saganashkee Slough in the Palos Preserves near Willow Springs; Catherine Chevalier Woods and LaBagh Woods in Chicago; and Bunker Hill in Niles on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through May 31.
Preckwinkle said those forest preserves have had regular problems with overcrowding, or visitors consistently disregarding social distancing measures during the COVID-19 outbreak.
"Unfortunately, we have seen that on warm weekend days, these locations are too popular, with too many visitors who are not following critical public health guidelines," Preckwinkle said.
The preserves themselves will remain open, only the parking lots will be closed.
Forest preserve police will issue citations to violators.
To limit visitors, parking lots will be closed Friday-Sunday through at least May 30 at Busse Woods in Elk Grove Village; Maple Lake and Saganashkee Slough in the Palos Preserves near Willow Springs; Catherine Chevalier Woods and LaBagh Woods in Chicago; and Bunker Hill in Niles.
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