Chicago alders approve Greyhound station purchase and airbag penalty ordinances
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A car in Lakeview that lost its airbag this spring. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
The Chicago City Council on Wednesday passed tougher penalties for reselling stolen airbags, and it approved the purchase of the South Loop Greyhound station.
Airbags
Zoom in: The airbag ordinance, sponsored by Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) aims to address rising thefts of the safety devices — 1,200 of which were reported stolen between January and April this year, according to a Sun-Times analysis.
- The law, which goes into effect later this month, increases fines on businesses that resell stolen airbags and requires dated documentation when bags are removed from cars.
- The measure raises penalties for selling stolen airbags to $4,000 for the first violation, with fines that could increase by $2,000 or more if the business is caught again within a year.
Greyhound station purchase
State of play: Alders voted to allow the city of Chicago to buy the South Loop Greyhound station on Harrison for $19.2 million.
- Supporters characterized it as a way to maintain affordable transit to and from the city for often low-income passengers "who don't have lobbyists."
- Ald. Bill Conway, who had previously been skeptical of the purchase, highlighted its importance to those traveling to Chicago for reproductive services unavailable in their own areas.
Yes, but: Some alders, including Ald. Marty Quinn (13th), balked at the price and suggested that the city should not be in the business of running transit hubs.
What lost: The City Council voted down an ordinance by Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) that would have levied penalties of $1,000 or 75 hours of community service on parents of minors who violate the law at mass gatherings, often referred to as "teen takeovers."
What's next: Among many other measures introduced Wednesday, Lopez proposed a measure to rename Northerly Island after Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV.
- Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) introduced a measure to rename Wabash Avenue — where Trump Tower is located — Barack Hussein Obama Avenue. Normally, honorary designations are reserved for deceased people, but Mayor Brandon Johnson said he'd support the effort.
What they're saying: "Any way in which we can honor the first Black president in the history of America is always a good thing," he told Axios Wednesday afternoon.