School Busing, City Services Resume
UPDATED 02/07/11 9:37 a.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) - The snow days are over, and it's time for the City that Works to get moving again.
As CBS 2's Susanna Song reports, Chicago Public Schools buses are running again as usual. Bus drivers are focusing on schools where there are a lot of special education students.
Parents were advised to expect some delays.
The city also resumed normal garbage service on Monday, according to a release from the Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Dave Marsett reports
Podcast
Last Monday and Tuesday, crews picked up additional garbage in anticipation of having some garbage collection hampered during and after the blizzard, the release said.
All city and sister agencies -- including the airports, libraries, parks, senior centers and CTA -- are also operating as normal Monday.
The city said to expect a few hiccups here and there as the city tries to return to pre-blizzard conditions.
For the past five days, the city has also given motorists a pass for feeding parking meters. Police and city revenue workers didn't write parking tickets, so many drivers got away without paying.
But as of 9 a.m. Monday, the amnesty ended, at least for part of the city.
The city's parking meter grace period is actually coming to a close in two steps, as WBBM Newsradio 780's Bob Roberts explains.
LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Bob Roberts reports
Podcast
The first step began at 9 a.m. in the Loop and in surrounding areas – Oak Street to the north, Lake Shore Drive to the east, Roosevelt Road to the south, and Halsted Street to the west, city Office of Emergency Management executive director Jose Santiago said.
Outside of that area, Monday remains a free day, Santiago said. Parking enforcement for the rest of the city begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
City and transit workers spent most of the weekends to help dig out parking meter boxes, bus stops, and entrances to 'L' stops around Chicago.
The city also has 174 tow trucks on the streets, using nearly 500 pieces of equipment to remove snow in trouble spots.
The city says 311 calls have substantially decreased, from nearly 7,000 calls this past Wednesday at the peak of the blizzard to about 600 calls Sunday afternoon.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
