Cook County Code Chapter 90 sets commercial loading-zone standards and the Department of Transportation and Highways approves loading zones on county roads. Site plans for new commercial buildings must include off-street loading bays, and on-street loading is allowed only where signed under DOTH or municipal authority.
Under Ch. 90 (Streets and Public Property) and Ch. 102 zoning, commercial, industrial, and mixed-use developments in unincorporated Cook County must provide off-street loading berths sized to vehicle class and use intensity, reviewed by the Department of Building and Zoning during site-plan approval. On-street loading zones along county highways are designated by Cook County DOTH after a traffic engineering study and posted with yellow curb plus signs stating active hours. Outside of posted hours and locations, commercial loading on the street is treated as a regular parking violation. In suburban Cook, each municipality posts and enforces its own loading zones on locally controlled streets.
Parking in a posted loading zone outside permitted hours, a commercial vehicle blocking traffic without a permit, or operating without required off-street loading bays triggers Sheriff citations, towing, and Building and Zoning enforcement.
See how Arlington Heights's loading zones rules stack up against other locations.
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