Closed City Vehicle Testing Facilities Would Reopen Under New Legislation

A bill introduced by a Far Northwest Side state senator could reopen two emissions testing facilities in Chicago, one near Lincoln Park and the other in Dunning, closed in November as part of an effort to save the state money.

State Sen. John Mulroe (D-Jefferson Park) said it made no sense to change a program designed to reduce emissions and force individuals to drive long distances.

The two Chicago emissions facilities closed Nov. 1 as part of an effort by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to “streamline” the way the state monitors emissions from older cars and save taxpayers $8 million, officials said.

“By closing emissions testing facilities in Chicago, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has created an undue burden on Chicago residents to meet the emission testing requirement” Mulroe said in a statement. “Getting a vehicle’s emissions tested can already be a time-consuming task in and of itself. We should not add to that by forcing Chicagoans to driver further to fulfill this obligation.”

Chicago drivers from the North Side now have to travel to the testing facility near McCormick Boulevard and Touhy Avenue in Skokie.

The closure of the facility at 6959 W. Forest Preserve Drive left a gaping hole in service near Harlem Avenue and Irving Park Road in Dunning on the city’s northwestern tip.

A spokeswoman for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency did not respond Thursday to a request for comment.

State law requires a testing facility to be located no more than 12 miles from a registered Illinois vehicle.

Mulroe’s bill would reduce that distance to five miles.

Cars manufactured in 1996 or later must have its emissions tested after it is four years old.

Heather Cherone dnainfo