The Illinois State Police plan to strictly enforce No Parking Zones at Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks, situated between Utica, Oglesby, and La Salle during the 2021 summer season.
In a Facebook post, the ISP noted that with nearly 2 million visitors annually, IL Rt 178 and IL Rt 71 adjacent to the parks become littered with vehicles parked along the roadside in No Parking/Tow Away Zones.
“The problem is so pervasive it has become a safety issue to pedestrians and motorists,” the post said. “The illegal parking has also made responding to the area difficult for emergency vehicles.”
After adding additional signage, ISP writes that their hope is people will voluntarily follow the rules.
“We hope we do not have to tow anyone’s vehicle,” the post says. “However, we are dedicating Troopers to patrol duties along IL Rt 178 and IL Rt 71 in the zones, and plan on having tow trucks on site. We will immediately tow vehicles parked in the tow-away zones. Citations will also be issued to the owners of vehicles who are found to park where prohibited. A citation for Parking Where Prohibited is $164. It is considered a moving violation. The estimated fee for towing a vehicle from the area to an area tow yard is approximately $300.”
For information on parking capacity or park closures, ISP encourages people to visit Facebook pages for Starved Rock State Park, IDNR, and Starved Rock Lodge. As an additional resource, area Taxi service information will be posted in various locations around the parks as Troopers and Conservation Officers will be unable to provide transportation services.
In addition to the No Parking Tow-Away zones, parking is prohibited upon any bridge or other elevated structure, or within 30 feet upon the approach to any stop sign, yield sign, or traffic control signal located at the side of the roadway.
